NC State basketball opponent scouting report: FIU
NC State basketball 2-0 with the wins coming in different fashion. The Pack blew out Austin Peay but needed clutch baskets to hold off Campbell. Next is Florida International, who comes to Raleigh for a 9 p.m., tip Tuesday evening at PNC Arena. The game can be seen on RSN.
Here is a rundown of what to expect from Florida International.
Florida International overview
The Panthers are off to a 2-0 start but against nondescript competition, with both games coming in Miami. FIU defeated Houston Christian in the opener, 77-66, and then knocked off non-Division I opponent Florida National last Thursday, 95-74.
Expectations, however, were not high coming into the season for FIU. The Panthers were picked to finish 10th in the 11-team Conference USA in the preseason poll. Last season, FIU went 5-13 in league play and finished with a sub-.500 record overall at 15-17.
The season fell apart in conference action. Prior to that, FIU had a solid win over non-conference opponent UNC Greensboro on a neutral court and played competitively against Georgia on the road. Playing away from home was an issue, though. In true road contests, the Panthers went just 1-11.
Four starters from that team left after that campaign.
FIU is trying to avoid a third straight losing season. The last time the Panthers had a winning record was when the 2019-20 squad went 19-13 overall and 9-9 in the league. That team, coincidentally, also played at NC State, with the Pack prevailing 86-77.
Rankings
ESPN’s BPI: FIU checks in at No. 244 (out of 362 teams). NC State basketball is No. 71.
KenPom.com: The Panthers are No. 238. The Pack is No. 59.
Three FIU players to watch against NC State basketball
Freshman guard Arturo Dean: A local product who was named Mr. Basketball in Miami, the 5-foot-11 guard has quickly made an impact at FIU. He is averaging 16.5 points and 2.5 assists per contest while making 14 of 23 shots from the field (60.9 percent), including 3 of 5 three-pointers. He also has 7 steals.
One key for FIU will be can Dean, who is likely to come off the bench, handle the ball pressure of NC State. He has as many turnovers as assists through 2 games.
Junior guard Javaunte Hawkins: The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder has patiently waited his turn to be a starter for FIU. He was a steady rotation player for two seasons, averaging 5.8 and 5.5 points per game respectively, before elevating to a starting role this year and bumping his scoring up to 13.0 points a contest.
Hawkins is a shooter NC State will have to account for on the floor. He made 44 threes in his debut season for the Panthers and followed up with 42 last season. Thus far in 2 games this month, he has made 6 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Denver Jones: Although not a full-time starter last season, Jones did get the nod in seven contests and was Florida International’s second leading scorer at 12.5 points per contest.
Thus far this season, Jones is averaging 17.5 points per game in efficient fashion. He has made 11 of 16 shots from the field, including 2 of 3 threes, and 11 of 12 free throw attempts. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Jones is the scorer that NC State will have to account for at all times when he is on the floor.
Three things NC State basketball should expect from FIU
1. A guard heavy attack: The three backcourt performers listed above are the three leading scorers for Florida International. The fourth player averaging double-digits scoring is senior guard John Williams Jr., who like Dean comes off the bench.
Those four guard account for 45 of FIU’s 69 made baskets through 2 games.
2. An unproven squad: The Panthers’ strength of schedule according to KenPom is No. 344 out of 363 teams. Thus the 2-0 record does not stand out, and NC State is the first opponent of any quality that FIU has faced this year.
3. An undersized team: Skinny 7-foot-1 junior Seth Pinkney, listed at 200 pounds, is the lone returning starter for FIU, but he averages just 17.0 minutes per game and contributes 3.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. A year ago, those numbers were 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 rejections in 17.3 minutes a contest.
After Pinkney, the only other FIU player taller than 6-foot-6 likely to play against NC State is 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Mohamed Sanogo, and thus far in 2 games he’s played a total of 25 minutes.
