By Xavier Holloway/Asst. Sports Director
As the men’s basketball season is rapidly approaching, FIU Panthers head coach Jeremy Ballard is concentrated on the teams’ present and future by implementing a new culture.
However, when asked if the first year head coach was looking to adjust any or multiple elements of the program from previous years, his answer was focused rather on invention than change.
“I’m not worried about change as much as I am worried about creation,” said Ballard. “We’re focused on the present and the future and building our vision of how we want to do things here.”
From the outside-looking-in perception of the program, the players could benefit from new insights and strategies.
FIU (14-18) last season often started fast in the opening quarters, yet would inevitably yield to defeat in the final minutes due to scheme breakdowns and team inconsistency.
This season, Ballard promises the team will have a different approach in the games this year.
“It’s really been a good transition,” said the first year head coach. “The team has accepted our vision of doing things, and have attacked each day while being open to doing things in a different manner.”
Ballard will most likely bring a defensive change up to this year’s program, by integrating the full-court press that was often used when he was an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University.
This is encouraging news for a team who spent most of last season in the bottom rankings of Conference USA, finishing conference play with an 8-10 record.
With the return of top guards Brian Beard, Jr. who last season averaged a team-high in points (16.4) and Trejon Jacob (14.5), along with the addition of shooting guard recruit Marcus Burwell, a standout from Northeastern Junior College.
The men’s basketball program appears primed to flip the narrative this year. When Burwell was signed to the program back in May, the signing implied a commitment to upgrade the team’s already stellar guard play.
After examining Marcus Burwell’s JUCO’s film at Northeastern, it’s apparent how much talent the 6-foot-3 guard from Richmond, Virginia possesses. Burwell is a pull-up 3-point specialist with a remarkably quick first step, as well as a gifted ball handler.
“He has been well coached at both the JUCO and high school levels, which combined with his work ethic and talent will allow him to have an immediate impact on our program,” said Ballard.
Add Burwell’s talent with already established guards in Jacob and Beard and the trio could almost immediately help change the program’s narrative this season.
Still, for the program as a whole moving forward, the domino effect of having more student Panthers attend home games goes without saying.
“We want the campus at large to feel as if they have ownership in our program. We need that energy and support for our guys,” said Ballard. “The players have been working hard, and they deserve to have the fans out there rooting them along.”
The Panthers first game of the regular season is on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center against the Webber International Warriors. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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