If you ever play poker with FIU athletic director Pete Garcia, and he acts really, really angry, call his bet. He's bluffing.

That's the takeaway from this afternoon's Associated Press report that, despite threats and protests to the contrary, Florida International will indeed line up against North Carolina in the first round of the Coaches Vs. Cancer tournament in late November. Originally, FIU requested a game against Ohio State, and while the stated reasons behind that request had to do with alumni connections, it might have had just as much to do with the fact that Isiah Thomas and company would prefer not to be destroyed on national television by the (admittedly depleted) defending champs.

So Thomas and Garcia raised a big stink. (They had a point. The tournament organizer, the Gazelle Group, has a history of bullying teams.) They threatened to pull out of the tournament. After further review -- their contract stipulated they might play either Ohio State or UNC at the tournament's discretion -- they've decided to take their lumps against UNC. I'm betting FIU's lawyers had some say in the matter.

In any case, this isn't a bad thing for FIU. They get to play one of the biggest, most high-profile programs in the country. Maybe they'll be badly beaten. Or maybe not. Either way, they'll be noticed, and for a program like Florida International with a coach like Isiah Thomas, this objective is paramount. Short of a horrifying recruiting scandal, any attention is good attention.

Related: Mid-Majors and Below, ACC Basketball