By: Greg Kincaid, FIU Athletic Media Relations

MIAMI (Aug. 11, 2015) - For FIU Basketball senior Adrian Diaz, March 7, 2015 is a date that will be one of the defining points of his collegiate career. Diaz had a record-breaking 13-block game on senior night. That game has not only defined his on-court presence, but it serves as a sign of what is to come for the program in 2015-16.

Entering the regular season finale on March 7, FIU snapped its three-game losing streak two nights prior, downing Middle Tennessee, 59-54. Facing eventual-Conference USA Champion and NCAA Tournament Third Round participant UAB to close the regular season, Diaz and the Panthers wanted to enter the C-USA Tournament on a high-note.

"I wanted to do it for the seniors and have them leave on a good note," said Diaz in response to FIU's 70-66 victory over the Blazers five months earlier. "Marco Porcher Jimenez, Dennis Mavin, Kris Gulley; I wanted them to leave with a good taste and a bang. It was all about them."

Modest and soft-spoken, Diaz didn't focus on his personal accomplishments that night, but instead on his team earning its second-straight win and preparing for a run in the league's tournament.

A 6-11 center who takes a lot of pride on what he does on the defensive side of the ball, thus earning All-C-USA Defensive Team honors, Diaz had arguably the best defensive performance throughout the NCAA for 2014-15 that night. He posted the program's first ever triple-double, scoring 14 points, grabbing 12 rebounds while blocking an FIU record 13 shots in the win over the Blazers.

"I knew I was a great shot blocker," said the humble Diaz. "I just kept protecting the rim."

The 13-block performance by Diaz matched the C-USA single-game record, which was initially set by Marshall's Hassan Whiteside back in 2010. Additionally, the 13 swats for the Miami native was an NCAA season-high for a single game during the 2014-15 season, besting the previous mark of 11. In fact, it was the most blocks in a single game for any NCAA player since Darrius Garrett of Richmond had 14 versus UMass in 2010.

Diaz had eight blocks at halftime, and wasn't feeling well either.

"At halftime, I wasn't feeling good," said Diaz. "It was because of how hard I was going. I threw up, went out there and had an awesome second half."

It was just another obstacle that Diaz had to overcome. A small one in fact, but just an example of the many hurdles in life and in his career that he has faced to get him where he is today, starving for a championship this year and a future in the pros.

Diaz was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing volleyball and running track, in addition to starting on his basketball team at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School. He was rated one of the top centers in the country and was the No. 6 prospect in the state of Florida according to FloridaHoops.com. Just as times were getting exciting for Diaz, who was excelling on and off the court, he faced one of his toughest obstacles to-date at 17 years old.

"When I began conditioning for basketball, I realized I was losing a lot of weight," Diaz recalls. "Then there was one time I got home from practice, laid down on the couch and I wasn't feeling well."

That day when he laid on the couch, Diaz's body could not respond. He told his parents there was something wrong, so they rushed him to Joe DiMaggio Hospital up in Hollywood. Following a number of tests, the doctors diagnosed Diaz with Type I Diabetes.

The normal and average sugar level for humans range from 85 to 150 mg/dL. That day when Diaz was admitted to the hospital, his sugar level checked in at 700 mg/dL. The doctors told Diaz and his family that if he waited another day, he would have dropped into a diabetic coma. Diaz says it could have been life-threatening had he waited that extra day.

Since his diagnosis five years ago, Diaz has had to make many adjustments to his daily routine. Eating has been one of his biggest challenges, as he has had to manage his diet every day and work with a nutritionist as well. A particular food that Diaz has mentioned that he has had to cut back on are pastelitos, a loved Cuban pastry. Popular in Miami, pastelitos are made with sweet or savory fillings that can include cream cheese, guava, pineapple and coconut.

"It's hard because some of the things I used to enjoy eating, I had to cut back on a lot," says Diaz. "I used to eat a lot of pastelitos, which are full of sugar. I used to have a box of those, now I can only have one or two of those a day."

Diaz's on-court challenges require constant monitoring. Whether during practice or in a game, Diaz needs brief periods of rest to balance his sugar levels. He also requires an insulin pump, which helps provide enough insulin for high-carb meals.

"If I am eating something that has carbs, I count the carbs and I give myself the amount of insulin for it," says Diaz. "Unless its protein, I don't have to worry about it because protein does not have any carbs. So I can eat as much steak and eggs as I want."

Growing up in Hialeah, a suburb in Miami, and having a close bond with his family, Diaz's heart has always been set in South Florida. He has even become accustomed to his nickname, "The Hialeah Hammer", representing his hometown blood and his dominance in the post for the Panthers. Diaz says he likes the nickname a lot and everyone else likes it too, especially his family members. A tight-knit family has always been important to A.D., another nickname that his teammates call him. His family is why Diaz chose to return to his home city, citing another obstacle the center had to endure.

Diaz spent his first two seasons at Kansas State from 2011 to 2013. He played in nearly every game for the Wildcats during his two seasons, averaging around 10 minutes a game off the bench. But it wasn't basketball that was the obstacle for Diaz, it was him being homesick and away from his family. Diaz was so used to his family being at every game growing up, but with Manhattan, Kan. being nearly 1,600 miles from Miami it was a challenge.

Diaz's parents were able to make it to several games in Manhattan, including two contests that he played against his brother, Andres Jr., who played at North Florida. Diaz and his two brothers all have played college basketball. His brother, Eric, played at Division II Eckerd College. His father, Andres Sr., was a successful player at Jackson High School in Miami. When it came to basketball his two brothers and father were his biggest influence growing up.

After two years at Kansas State, Diaz was ready to move on. He didn't really know what would be next after he left Kansas State. He wasn't sure if he would even play basketball again.

"When I was at Kansas State my confidence was at an all-time low," said Diaz. "There was a point where I didn't want to play basketball anymore. I knew I wanted to play, but I didn't have the motive that I should have. I left saying, whatever is next."

Just like the diabetes, Diaz had to overcome another obstacle. What was next?

Then came along FIU Head Coach Anthony Evans. Diaz met with Evans shortly after he was hired as the head coach at FIU, replacing then-Head Coach Richard Pitino. Immediately, Diaz had his mind made up about basketball. It was his discussions with Evans that built back his confidence and motive to play basketball again.

"I have a lot of faith in Coach Evans," says Diaz. "Coach Evans told me the player I could be, that I am a special player, and between the two of us, we can turn this program around. I have faith in him. That's what really made me decide I wanted to come to FIU."

Diaz was officially a member of the men's basketball program at FIU in 2013. Due to the NCAA transfer rules, he had to sit out during the season. Not being able to see live action was tough for Diaz, but he used the obstacle as a learning tool.

"It was tough sitting out because I knew that I could have contributed to the team," said Diaz. "But it made me learn the program, the plays and it also gave me an opportunity to get stronger too."

What made it even tougher for Diaz was something that came up early in January 2014. A torn meniscus in his right knee forced him to have surgery. For nearly three months, he not only couldn't play in a game due to the NCAA rules, but he also couldn't work on his game to prepare for his first upcoming eligible season.

Whenever the team was done with practice or on the road for a game, Diaz would always go to the gym and shoot extra. After knee surgery, he would go to the training room and do as much rehab as he could to make his knee stronger. He was also at every practice supporting his teammates. He was a team player at a time when things were tough, and he is still a team player now.

Diaz brought his team-first mentality and 6-11 frame to game action in November 2014 for the Panthers. He went on to earn C-USA All-Defensive Team honors after he finished the season ranked sixth in the NCAA in total blocks (99) and seventh in blocks-per-game (3.0). Thanks to the help from Diaz, FIU as a team blocked a school-record 150 shots for the season. He is just 28 blocks shy of breaking Dwight Stewart's school career record of 126. But Diaz has realized that he has not accomplished that team goal that he would like to accomplish. A big focus this offseason for him to get his team to that point has been focusing on building consistency.

"I felt like I gained a lot of confidence, especially towards the end of the year," says Diaz. "I feel like I played very well. It was a tough loss against UTEP though in the tournament, and I am not satisfied with that. I felt like we could have gone a lot further. I know this year we are definitely going to make it further than we did last year."

Diaz has also focused on gaining weight and getting sharper in the weight room during the offseason as well. That is the number one priority for him, getting in tip-top shape so he can play 30 minutes or whatever Evans asks him to play. With that, Diaz has also been working with a nutritionist this offseason.

"I am actually putting on a lot of weight now," he said. "I'm at 235. We make a chart with the things I used to eat and the things that I should be eating or what I am eating. It was tough at first, but I stayed committed to it and if I keep going, I can be at the weight I want to be."

Diaz has always been trying to strive for improvement and has never been satisfied. Something he says the team has been always talking about this offseason is getting to 20 wins and getting into the postseason. Building a winning environment is the key.

"It would be great for me, the team and the school," says Diaz. "It would build a great reputation for us winning. The two years that I was at Kansas State, I didn't feel like I was contributing enough. So it would be a major part of my career if I can get this team into the postseason."

After his collegiate career, the NBA is always the number one goal for Diaz.  He says he will always be striving for that, but if something else happens, he would be very happy going overseas and playing as well.

Through all that Diaz has been through, there is nothing but positives he can take out of it. All of these circumstances he has faced, he realizes a positive and a great reward will always come with it.

"I feel like it is God's test," said Diaz. "All of the obstacles He has put me through, I feel like there is going to be a great reward at the end of it. That's why I am not even mad or sad about it, because at the end of the day, I know a great reward is going to come with it."