On Monday, Isiah Thomas's FIU team played North Carolina at the Dean Dome. This was always a losing proposition; that Zeke's team wasn't blown out of the building, and managed to look somewhat impressive in the meantime, counted as a major accomplishment.

This is more major: On Wednesday, Isiah Thomas used the early signing period to lock up what has to be Florida International's first top-50 Rivals player in school history. Yes, Dominique Ferguson, the No. 10-ranked power forward in the class of 2010, officially signed his letter of intent to play for FIU. This is a big deal for Thomas, obviously, because it gives FIU the sort of talent boost schools like FIU don't normally get. It also proves to other top recruits that FIU is a viable option.

But what kind of option is it? That's Thomas's next hurdle: convincing other recruits that Ferguson's decision wasn't a one-off ploy for attention. Ferguson is a good player, one of the best any mid-major will roster in the next four years. But he's not a team. So where does Isiah go from here?

Related: Mid-Majors and Below, Recruiting