Doubting Thomas? Not these two writers
Posted: Friday, July 31, 2009 10:47 AM
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Isiah Thomas
Say this for Isiah Thomas – he’s giving it the old college try.
A pair of Thomas features surfaced this week, as Florida International’s new coach made the recruiting rounds at various tournaments. See what you think.
Jeff Goodman set Thomas as a “grinder,” the guy who isn’t far from the scrappy player raised on Chicago’s blacktop and is bringing that to FIU.
Lynne Sladky/AP |
Thomas at his intro press conference
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"You just put your head down and work," Thomas said. "That's all I'm doing right now. My main objective is to turn our program around." "We can play for the championship. We're a Division I school that can play for the championship. We want to go out, recruit and get the best players.”
Fair enough. Recruiting should be easy enough for a charmer like Thomas. He’s a Hall of Famer who’s been an NBA coach and executive, which plays to his favor when it comes to selling prospects. But there’s more to it, right?
The more layered story comes from Dana O’Neil (no surprise there), who provides more background and telling anecdotes about Thomas, including a fun bit about his mom being tougher than Bob Knight.
Also more telling (to me, at least), is O’Neil’s set up. Other coaches enter a gym and want to be noticed and project their school. Thomas was trying to fly below the radar. No school logos, no sitting in the bleachers – just Thomas in dress casual clothes and trying to watch hoops.
Still … doubting the guy’s work ethic and recruiting talents isn’t the deal. His coaching ability is what’ll hold FIU back.
Unless Thomas recruits players who can carry FIU in high-profile games, it seems unlikely that he can turn the Golden Panthers into Southern Florida’s version of Gonzaga or Utah State.
But hey, as long as Thomas is out there, raising FIU’s profile, the school will certainly get its money’s worth this season.
