Malcolm Shields / Staff Writer
sports@fiusm.com
DeJuan Wright will play his final game as a Panther on Feb. 25 against South Alabama
When head coach Isiah Thomas took the reigns of the FIU basketball program in 2009, the program was lean on quality Division I talent.
In search for players to fill out his roster, he went back to his Detroit roots to find players who had the potential to succeed at FIU.
The results led him to find two Detroit natives that are now one game away from concluding their collegiate basketball careers for the Panthers: Jeremy Allen and DeJuan Wright.
On Feb. 25, Allen and Wright will have their names announced at U.S. Century Bank Arena for the final time for FIU against South Alabama.
For Thomas, seeing Allen and Wright depart the program will be difficult for him. “It’s going to be a really tough moment for me, seeing those two kids leave,” Thomas said.
For Allen, the end of his college career has begun to set in. “Coming up to my last game, reality is starting to set in. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play college basketball,” Allen said. “For me to be able to do it, it is an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
On the surface, coming to play at FIU in 2009 was a gamble. With a new coach and a nearly new roster, Allen and Wright decided to make the commitment to Thomas and FIU.
“My first recruit was DeJuan. The day I accepted the job at FIU, the next day DeJuan called and said, ‘I want to play for you,’” Thomas said. “Those two
kids, coming out of Detroit, establishing and doing what they have done here, graduating, they have built a good solid foundation for us to recruit and build upon.”
With both looking for a fresh start midway in their college basketball career, Thomas provided an opportunity for Allen and Wright at FIU. “I am really grateful to play at FIU and play for him. He is a great coach.” Wright said. “I have learned so much in these two years, more than what I will learn probably in my whole life.”
The relationship between Allen and Wright goes farther than their bond as teammates. “It’s definitely a brother-brother relationship,” Wright said. Allen and Wright’s friendship goes back to their middle school days in Detroit. “He is the closest thing for me to having another brother,” added Wright.
After an unsteady 2010-2011 season, the onus was placed on Allen and Wright to lead the team.
Before the beginning of this season, both were selected as co-captains for the Panthers. “We’ve been though a lot here,” Allen said. “We are just trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
Although the fruits of their labor on the hardwood did not produce a winning season in their two seasons in Miami, they believe the effort that they put into the program has laid a foundation for the program to grow.
“That is all that we have tried to do. Work hard and lead by example,” Allen said. “We are doing what we can to make the freshman and sophomores better.”
After FIU, professional basketball may be on the horizon for both Allen and Wright. As the former President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks, Thomas believes that both will have a chance to play basketball professionally.
“They will be great teammates and they will be welcomed on any team,” Thomas said. “They understand and have all the basketball concepts. They can definitely hold their own on the basketball court.”
Although both admitted that playing basketball at the next level was on their minds, they both felt that there was still more to accomplish while at FIU.
“I want to continue playing basketball next season, but right now I’m just trying to finish out and hopefully we can make a run at the Sun Belt title,” Wright said. “That is where my focus is.”
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