Zeked

...and introducing your 2010 NCAA champions: THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY GOLLLLDDDENNN PANNN-THERS!!!

Okay, not quite. But whens the last time ESPN had half a dozen articles with the words "Florida" and "International" together in the same sentence?

As I've been preaching on street corners for six years now, Isaiah Thomas is an emissary of Satan and, most likely, a sign of the end times. He bankrupted an entire basketball league, then ruined my favorite NBA team for a decade. Zeke + the gnats in the 2007 MLB playoffs make me think that God really does hate New York sports teams.

That said, this is a good hire. The one thing Isaiah excelled in at NY was evaluating college players. In the rare year where he didn't trade our draft picks away, we picked up stellar talents like David Lee, Trevor Ariza and Wilson Chandler. If Isaiah proves as adept at finding HS diamonds in the rough, FIU could be back in the tournament for the first time since 1995.

Beyond that, what's the worst that could happen? Okay, besides Zeke sexually abusing cheerleaders and/or getting the team addicted to sleeping pills. This is a school located in an area relatively bereft of basketball talent; and FIU must compete against Florida, Miami and half the SEC for the few players who do come out of the region.

For all his failings off the court, Zeke's name still carries a lot of weight with kids. With him at the helm they should be able to recruit bigger and recruit smarter. That said, don't expect any Cinderella runs from the Golden(?) Panthers. A one-and-done NCAA tournament appearance would be considered a huge victory for a team with only one NCAA tourny bid in its history (as a 16-seed, no less). Zeke will coach the team until he loses interest or finds an NBA team stupid enough to give him another shot at management (hello, Clippers?).

And the very best part of the hire?
Ladies and gentlemen of Madison Square Garden: Isaiah Thomas has left the building.