By Malcolm Shields/ Staff Writer
malcolm.shields@fiusm.com
DeJuan Wright earned second team all Sun Belt honors (Kristi Camara/The Beacon)
After enduring an entire regular season of injuries, inconsistent play and multiple losing streaks, all of that can be nullified if FIU completes a feat that the program has not obtained in over 15 years: winning its conference championship.
The Panthers take their first step at a run in the conference tournament on March 3 at 8:30 p.m. against Western Kentucky in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament in Hot Springs, Ark.
The Panthers split the season series with Western Kentucky. FIU (8-20, 5-11 SBC) won the first meeting in Bowling Green 81-63.
The Hilltoppers won the second meeting 61-51 in Miami. Western Kentucky (11-18, 7-9 SBC) enters the matchup with FIU on a two game winning streak, which included a win over conference leading Middle Tennessee.
The Hilltoppers have balanced scoring from the outside and inside from guards Derrick Gordon, Jamal Crook, T.J. Price and forward George Fant. “[We are] two teams that are evenly matched. They play a lot of young players,” head coach Isiah Thomas said. “It’s going to be a tough game.”
Four guard lineup
In FIU’s win against South Alabama, coach Thomas utilized a four guard lineup, which consisted of DeJuan Wright, Jeremy Allen, Phil Taylor and Deric Hill. The lineup allows Taylor to play more off the ball.
Taylor, who is slated as the starting guard, continues to grow from a score-first guard to a facilitating guard. “I have come a long way. It has been a learning experience,” Taylor said. “Coach is on me everyday and I just try to get better every day.”
Combined the quartet amassed 66 of FIU’s 81 points against the Jaguars. Also the group combined for 13 of the teams 16 assists’ in the game.
Defensive improvement
In three of the last four games, FIU has allowed teams to shoot over 45 percent from the field.
Against the Hilltoppers, the Panthers will need to do a better job on the defensive end, closing out on their shooters on the outside.
“We have to work better on our defense, work better on our zone [defense and] look at what they did that made them successful against us last time,” Wright said.
The Panthers have keyed in on Price to limit his shooting from beyond the arch. “Price hit two back-to-back big three’s on the wing last time to put them up so we got to contain them,” said Wright.
Three Panthers Honored
Wright, Allen and Taylor were recognized by the Sun Belt Conference by being named to the 2011-2012 All-Conference teams.
Wright was selected to the second team, while Allen and Taylor were voted to the third team.
Despite missing the first five conference games for the Panthers due to injury, Wright completed his senior season in conference, averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Allen completed his senior season as the third leading scorer in the conference with 15.4 points per game. He also led the conference in steals with 40 and ranked fifth in the conference by shooting 81.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Taylor capped off his sophomore season as the seventh leading scorer in conference play with his 14.3 points per game average.
Taylor finished the season ranked fourth in three-point field goal percentage at 44.6 percent and second in three-pointers made with 41.
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