Thomas, FIU face long odds in opener at No. 6 UNC
MIAMI (AP)—Isiah Thomas was midway through a question-and-answer session with some FIU alumni last month when someone stood up and put the Hall of Fame player on the spot.
“So, how will you prepare for an opener against North Carolina?”
FIU’s new coach, to his credit, didn’t hesitate before giving the guy his answer.
“Well, Cinderella doesn’t have to come in March. She can come in November,” Thomas said.
Everybody laughed.
Thomas laughed.
The event continued.
The reality is, there are long shots, and then there’s whatever FIU will be Monday night when the Golden Panthers open the Thomas era in the 2K Sports Classic at No. 6 North Carolina, the defending national champion and a popular pick to win it all again this season.
Consider this stat: The Tar Heels won 34 games last season alone, while FIU has won 34 games in the last three seasons combined.
“We like being underdogs,” FIU guard Marvin Roberts said. “We’re going to be underdogs all year. And we’ll be the real underdogs on Monday, so we’ll just play like we have nothing to lose.”
Real underdogs, indeed: One Las Vegas line favors Carolina by 30.
The matchup, which seemed to be in jeopardy because FIU officials originally felt they agreed to play Ohio State in the opening round of the tournament, is tinged with obvious irony.
Thomas’ final college game was in 1981, when he led Indiana past North Carolina for the NCAA title.
Which makes it fitting, naturally, that his first college game as a coach comes against the Tar Heels.
“I don’t know him real well,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “I was on the bench when he played his last college game and beat us in the national championship game in ’81. Followed his career a great deal throughout his time in the NBA. … I know probably a lot more of his accomplishments than he knows of mine, that’s for sure.”
FIU only won 13 games last year, lost 20 for the third time in four seasons, and that’s when the school decided to make a serious splash by hiring Thomas— giving him a chance to revive a coaching career that was slowed to a sputter during a troubled tenure with the New York Knicks.
“What we’ve said to our guys all along is, it’s about how we play together as a team and how to play together as a unit,” Thomas said. “If we can stay within our game, and if we can do the things we want defensively and offensively, I think we’ll be able to play with any team in the country this year, not just North Carolina.”
The odds are thickly stacked against FIU this season, despite the presence of a basketball icon on the sideline.
Only one of the Golden Panthers’ top four scorers is back from last season. Combine that with the regime change, and Williams didn’t mind revealing that he has “no idea” what FIU will try Monday night.
“I’m not trying to put their program down,” Williams said. “Isiah wasn’t the coach there last year. Doesn’t do us any good to look at the tape from any games that they had last year.”
Thomas isn’t all that concerned with North Carolina, either.
Let’s clarify that point: He’s absolutely concerned with what the Tar Heels can, might and likely will do to run his team out of Chapel Hill. But Thomas’ focus Monday night will be on watching his program take the first steps on what he knows will be a long road if it’s to reach college basketball’s top level.
“It’ll be a very teachable moment,” Thomas said. “So many times in life, you run into that immovable object or you get knocked down. When you get knocked down, you’ve got to find a way to get back up. … The most important part is getting the kids ready to go in and face something they’ve never faced in their life. It’s what they all dream of, but when they walk in, it’ll be a different story.”
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It's one thing if he wasn't one of your favorite players, etc. but you sound very bitter when ever his name surfaces (are you jealous)? Or are there other understreaming issues with you pertaining to this man's life? Because your comments are very EXTREME to say the least regarding this small issue about Isiah's professional and some times personal life! Hey dude get a GRIP it's not that serious I don't think Isiah is taking any food off your table or out of your mouth.
STOP HATING....R U teed off because perhaps you are a Celtics fan and he and the Bad Boys put a whopping on them LOL? And ever since you come to be anti-Isiah so whatever minute thing occurs in this man's life you like to HIGHLIGHT all his woes. Ohh I forgot you're probably one of those individuals who never EVER done wrong!
Go Pistons and Go Golden Panthers. And Isiah continue being Isiah-down to earth and real about yours!!!
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I first saw him in a summer tournament at Malcom X College the summer he graduated from St. Joseph High School. The league seemed to be a hodge-podge of local/college stars, including people like Eddie Hughes of Colorado, Mike "Tank" Eversley of Chicago State University, James Jackson of the University of Minnesota, Modzel Greer of North Park College and Larry Knight of Loyola (Chicago). Isaiah clearly was the star. On one play, he missed a free throw - but with his quickness he charged to the rim and nearly tip-dunked his miss. This is 1979, most of you readers probably did not see anything similar until the 1990's courtesy of one Michael Jordan. aside from Eddie Hughes, he was the smallest, youngest and best player.
Two years later as a sophomore guard, he personally outplayed the North Carolina All-Americans
and led Indiana to the NCAA title. If you saw the game, Thomas deviated from Knight's scheme of doing things which caused several turnovers, but the yield and final outcome was victory.
We also know that at the next level, for years he and Kelly Tripucka provided the NBA with many scoring highights until the "Bad Boys" era materialized. Then, we witnessed the beginnings of small-ball in the NBA with Thomas, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson aka "Microwave" lead Detroit to two consecutive titles.
Yes, along the way there was the Jordan All-Star game snub. But Julius Erving, the "Good Doctor" also snubbed Jordan early on and publicly declared that Jordan had only proven himself against lesser teams. There was also the snub against the Bulls when Detroit was wept. But even that action showed the leadership of Thomas as every player followed him off the court.
Thomas has not done favorably well in other capacities as GM and possibly as a coach, but neither has Jordan who wasted picks on personnel such as Kwame Brown and Adam Morrisson. And most everybody know/knew that Larry Bird never really "coached" the Pacers. Just as Vinny Del Negro is not coaching the current Bulls.
You do know that the NBA's Dr. Phil, Phil Jackson labored for years in obscurity until he finally got the gist of coaching and won a championship in the CBA. Then there were more years in the NBA only as an assistant in the shadows before he was given control of the Bulls as they tired of the high-strung Doug Collins.
So do not count Zeke out. He has zigged, when a zag was required. But have not we all. What can be said for Thomas is that he has not given up on life. Well - earlier this year, he may have come very close, but he has yet rebounded again. It was good to see he and John Stockton heaping praise upon one another years later after their battles between one another as premier point guards during the recent 2009 NBA Hall of Fame Inductions.
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A College Basketball Fan In Kansas City, MO
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Being a UNC grad and fan, we sure do love, respect and appreciate Coach Williams for returning to UNC and turning it back into a college powerhouse just like it was when the great Coach Smith was on the sidelines. Being a basketball coach myself, Ive taken what I learned from Coach Smith, Coach Williams and yes, even Coach K to build a nice program. I also teach the TEAM concept, I was taught and it beats the ones who try to go one on one so often.
So, Isiah, I wont use the term 'coach' until you prove yourself to be a leader by example. Use the game Monday night to gain experience, not only for your players, but for yourself as well, not to mention the national attention. I will be in attendance just as I am for all the Tar Heels home games.
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