Yahoo! Sports

Thomas, FIU starting over together (AP)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:44:53 PST

Isiah Thomas knows what his first FIU pregame speech will entail. He'll gather players Monday night, just before they take the court to open the season against defending national champion North Carolina. The talk will be quick. "God help us all," Thomas predicted he'll say, fearing a rout.

Thomas loses debut in FIU exhibition game (AP)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:43:09 PST

Isiah Thomas lost his coaching debut at Florida International on Wednesday night when Northwood, an NAIA school coached By Rollie Massimino, beat the Panthers 71-61 in an exhibition game. Thomas, the Basketball Hall of Famer and most recently coach of the New York Knicks, faced Massimino, who coached Villanova to the 1985 NCAA title and is entering his fourth season at the West Palm Beach, Fla.

FIU Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:30:24 PDT

The hiring of basketball legend Isiah Thomas put Florida International in the national college basketball spotlight.

Thomas left the NBA's New York Knicks' front office—he earlier served on the bench in a head-coaching capacity—in a cloud of controversy, but he hopes to revive his coaching career by putting new life into a program that hasn't had a winning season in a decade.

His team is almost as new to the college basketball scene as Thomas, who left Indiana in 1981. Only five lettermen return, and only one of them scored in double figures last year, forward Nicola Gacsesa, who averaged exactly 10 points per game.

The defection of the 2008-09 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, 6-foot-10 Freddy Asprilla, makes the Panthers as small as they are...

Thomas says he's 'hurt' over Magic's book comments (AP)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:43:42 PDT

Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed each other's cheek moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals. Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close. In Thomas' mind, a 17-year-old wound has been reopened in a new book that Johnson and Larry Bird wrote with author Jackie MacMullan.

Thomas has 1st practice with FIU (AP)

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:43:42 PDT

Isiah Thomas was finally back on the court Saturday. Holding his first official practice as Florida International's coach, the Hall of Fame player ran up and down with his new team, yelling out pointers on how to defend off the dribble. Far from his past coaching home with the New York Knicks, Thomas said his focus is on rebuilding the Golden Panthers, who finished 13-20 last season.