Second-year coach Jeremy Ballard re-energized Florida International and has brought in several transfers to bolster his team this season.

Arkansas-Little Rock transfer Cameron Corcoran and St. John’s center transfer Sedee Keita have arrived, along with junior college transfers Blake Furcron, Eric Lovett, Tevin Brewer and Dimon Carrigan.

The Titans won’t be eligible for the postseason this year due to past APR issues, while Georgia Tech was on NCAA probation. Here is a scouting report on Detroit Mercy.

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Florida International opened the season with a 77-67 loss at Mississippi State on Nov. 5, and then topped Ave Maria 101-59 in its home opener Nov. 8.

FIU was down 40-30 at halftime against Mississippi State, but actually outscored the Bulldogs by two in the second half. The Panthers are only playing three Power Five non-conference foes this season — Mississippi State, NC State and Minnesota — with all on the road.

Florida International went 20-14 overall and 10-8 in Conference USA, falling to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the CIT second round last year. Senior forward Devon Andrews and junior wing Trejon Jacob of Raleigh lead the Panthers this season. Andrews averaged 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year, and Jacob chipped in 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. Senior post player Osasumwen Osaghae averaged 8.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.

Rankings

KenPom.com has Florida International at No. 199 in the country this season, and ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Panthers at No. 154 in the country.

The Panthers are ranked No. 194 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com. In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, FIU finished No. 186 in the country last year.

Shooting

Former Raleigh Millbrook High product Jacob and Andrews combined for 92 three-pointers made last year. Jacob in particular went 56 of 147 for 38.1 percent, and had nine games where he hit three three-pointers or more. Jacob went for 20 points and was 6 of 9 from beyond the arc last year at Middle Tennessee State on Jan. 3, 2019, and he also went 6 of 13 on three-pointers against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 2, when he poured in a season-high 24 points.

FIU shot just 30.2 percent from beyond the arc last year and 64 percent from the free-throw-line. The shooting has improved this season, going 19 of 49 through two games on three-pointers. Redshirt sophomore Corcoran has made 5 of 9 three-pointers, and junior Lovett and junior Brewer have both gone 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Rebounding

Osaghae leads the way with 5.5 rebounds per game, and the Panthers have grabbed 31.5 a contest. He averaged 8.5 caroms per game last year, and reached 10-plus boards in 12 games, including a season-high 15 versus Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Nov. 13, 2018 and again at Marshall on Jan. 19, 2019. He closed the season with 11 rebounds or more in five of his last six games.

Carrigan has been a presence off the bench with 4.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes a contest. FIU had four players grab between 4-5 rebounds in the loss at Mississippi State.

Defense

Mississippi State shot 54.4 percent from the field and 35.7 percent (5 of 14) on three pointers in the season opener. FIU did force 18 turnovers and had five blocks and eight steals.

Osaghae ranked third in the country last year with 3.1 blocks per game. He blocked at least five attempts in eight games, with a season-high seven against Charlotte on Jan. 10, 2019. Osaghae had three blocks against Mississippi State this season, and then had eight against Ave Marie. Carrigan is also a gifted shot-blocker, who in high school with BABC traveling team, averaged 3.5 blocks per game in 21 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League contests.

Depth

Six players came off the bench against Mississippi State, with qinf Lovett going 3 of 6 on three-pointers en route to 11 points in 19 minutes. Fellow guard Corcoran had five points in 17 minutes, and the previously mentioned Carrigan brings an athletic center off the bench. The 6-9 Carrigan has seven points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes through two games.

Former South Carolina and St. John’s big man Keita hasn’t played the first two games this season, but will help FIU when he takes the court.

Andrews started his college career at Kent State, where he redshirted, and then he transferred to Pratt Community College in Kansas, where he averaged 22 points per game. He transferred to Florida International and he thrived last year.

The 6-6, 190-pounder from Lorain, Ohio, averaged 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game, and he shot 49.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent on three-pointers. He had a season-high 29 points at Texas State in the CIT last year, and topped 20-plus points nine times.

Andrews is also good with his shot selection, where his 49.3 percent from the field ranked 10th in Conference USA. He shot 50 percent or better in 18 games, and 60 percent or higher in eight contests.

Andrews opened his 2019-20 season with 16 points and three boards against Mississippi State. He was named to the preseason Conference USA squad.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 3.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 10.0 apg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 21.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 spg)

G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Jr., 17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 apg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, Soph., 11.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.0 apg)

C — 15 Manny Bates (6-11, 230, R-Fr., 5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.5 apg, 6.0 spg)

Florida International

PG — 11 Tevin Brewer (5-8, 160, Jr., 7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 3.5 spg)

SG — 5 Antonio Daye (6-1, 188, Soph., 7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.0 spg)

SF — 3 Trejon Jacob (6-5, 175, Sr., 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 4.0 spg)

PF — 50 Devon Andrews (6-6, 190, Sr., 15.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)

C — 34 Osasumwen Osaghae (6-9, 250, Sr., 12.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 5.5 bpg)

1st: FIU ranked first in the nation for forced turnovers (19.6) and steals (5.6) per game last year under Ballard, who was an assistant coach at VCU.

6: Number of former assistant coaches under current Texas coach Shaka Smart, who went on to become a head coach. Ballard joined Mike Rhoades (VCU), Will Wade (LSU), Mike Jones (Radford), Jamion Christian (Mount St. Mary’s) and Mike Morrell (UNC-Asheville).

38: Points for Raleigh native Jacob against Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 19, 2017. he went 7 of 11 on three-pointers in the 91-88 victory. Former NC State wing Eric Lockett had 11 points that game.

Wednesday night could be a block party with two of the best shot-blockers in the country squaring off against each other.

Center Manny Bates, the 6-11 redshirt freshman for the Wolfpack has 12 blocked shots in his first two games, and has done a good job of avoiding foul trouble. Osaghae had eight blocks against Ave Maria last Friday, and has 11 blocks in two contests.

The 6-9, 250-pound Osaghae, who played for Miami Southridge High, has 141 career blocks, but he started his college career with humble beginnings. FIU only played him four games his freshman year as a walk-on player, and he came through with 33 blocks his sophomore year. He went on scholarship and then blew up as one of the top defenders in Conference USA last year.

Osaghae averaged 3.1 blocks per game, to go along with 8.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 22.5 minutes a contest. The two-time honor roll student, who is an effective offensive rebounder, lead the league in blocked shots and was fourth in the country.

Osaghae finished with seven double-doubles, and grabbed at least 10 boards in 12 games. He blocked seven shots against Charlotte and had six blocks in four different games.

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