MIAMI, FL – It’s basketball season! A stretch of 31 games is set to begin on Tuesday, November 5th as head coach Jeremy Ballard and his team head to Houston to take on the Rice Owls.
Improvements Need To Be Made
Last season, there was no question that defense was an issue.
Amongst Conference USA, FIU was dead last in total defense, surrendering 76.5 points per game. Even with having the NCAA steals leader, Arturo Dean, the Panthers struggled.
Rebounding The Ball Is The Key
FIU was not only the worst rebounding team in Conference USA but also amongst the worst in the country.
Defensive rebounds are where issues stem from. They only averaged 21.2 per game. Offensive rebounds were a bit better, averaging 10.4 per game.
Size Has Been Added
Throughout the offseason, FIU brought in plenty of JUCO talent, including big men Vianney Salatchoum and Olajuwon Ibrahim.
Salatchoum, who stands at 6’11,” and 225 pounds comes from Panola Community College in Texas. Expect him to be the Panthers starting center against Rice. The junior made quick progress with the team throughout practice. In his two seasons, he totaled 121 blocks.
Ibrahim, a junior out of Southeastern Community College in Florida, stands at 6’10,” and 210 pounds. Unlike Salatchoum, Ibrahim has taken a bit more time to adjust and will likely be competing for minutes with returner Okechukwu Okeke.
New Point Guard For FIU
Coming from the College of Southern Idaho, junior Asim Jones is set to make an early impact at the D1 level for FIU, bringing a new dynamic to the table.
In his final year, Jones averaged 15.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and shot .333 from beyond the arc. Jones will be a pass-first player, but likely the second or third scoring option in the starting lineup.
Backing up Jones will be freshman Ashton Williamson coming out of 21st Century Charter in Indiana. The crafty point guard has a similar skill set to Jones, but will likely look to facilitate the ball a little bit more.
You usually do not see a freshman play too much in college basketball, but Williamson has looked comfortable and knows the system well.
The Key Returners
By far the biggest factor going into the 2024-25 season is that over 50% of the roster from last season decided to stick around.
Junior guard Dashon Gittens will likely be the Panthers’ primary scorer. Last season, Gittens missed most of conference play due to injury, but is set to return and be FIU’s shooting guard on Tuesday.
Jonathan Aybar, who only played in 13 games last season, is healthy and ready to go for the season. Standing at 6’9,” Aybar provides FIU with the ability to stretch the floor a bit and help out in the rebounding department.
Jayden Brewer, who originally entered the transfer portal, decided to withdraw his name and return to FIU. The 6’6″ forward will either see his name in the starting five or be the first to come off the bench.
As a player who is quick and can jump outside the gym, expect him to be used plenty this season.
Sharpshooter Jaidon Lipscomb, who after not playing too much to begin the 2023 season, ended up starting in 19 games and shot .362 from beyond the arc. Right behind him was George Pridgett Jr. who shot .326.
One name to keep an eye out for this season is senior Travis Gray, who did not see the court last season after arriving late and suffering an injury.
Gray, who stood out throughout practice, will likely see minutes coming off the bench. He comes from Mohawk Valley Community College in New York where he averaged 22.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds.
Kevin’s Projected Starting Five
Point Guard – Asim Jones
Shooting Guard – Dashon Gittens
Small Forward – Jayden Brewer
Power Forward – Jonathan Aybar
Center – Vianney Salatchoum
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