MIAMI (March 23, 2016) – FIU men's basketball standout Adrian Diaz will be heading to the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Houston, Texas as part of the inaugural Latin America Select Basketball Team, March 31-April 3. The team is the creation of a new initiative as result of a partnership between FIBA (the International Basketball Federation), USA Basketball and the NCAA.

Diaz, of Cuban decent, and the rest of the Select team, will join the Final Four teams in Houston and be included in the weekend's activities. The team will be honored during Final Four Friday, take part in Fan Fest signing autographs, and compete in an exhibition game. The team will also be honored during one of the two semifinal games on Saturday night, April 2.

A 6-foot-11 senior forward from Miami, Diaz finished the 2015-16 season third on the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points-per-game and first in field goal percentage (65.0 percent, 180-of-277) and rebounding (7.8 rebounds-per-game). Diaz is also 11^th in Conference USA in scoring, first in field goal percentage and seventh in rebounding.

The "Hialeah Hammer," as he is affectionately known, scored in double figures in 28 of the 32 games this season, and has netted 20 or more points five times, including a season-high 24 points against Stetson on Nov. 30. He also tallied 23 points, twice, against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 and North Texas on Feb. 18.

Diaz has recorded nine double-doubles on the year, including a 14-point, 11-rebound performance in his final collegiate game, against UTEP in the Conference USA Tournament second round on March 9.

Diaz finished his FIU career with 917 career points, which is 11^th on the Panthers' career scoring list. For his collegiate career – Diaz transferred to FIU after his sophomore year at Kansas State – he has scored 1,061 points. 

Diaz, however, has made a name for himself on the conference and national levels on the defensive end of the floor. He finished the season leading the team, while second in C-USA in blocked shots, averaging 2.9 rejections-per-contest. He also spent the majority of the season as the nation's top shot blocker, consistently averaging better than three-blocks-per-outing. Through games of March 22, Diaz is seventh in the nation in blocked shots and eighth in total blocks (93).

Diaz is FIU's all-time leader in rejections with 192 (207 for his career), and finished just seven blocks shy of breaking his own school record of 99, which he set last year.

On the year, Diaz rejected at least one shot in 29 games, and had multiple blocks in 24 games, including a season-high eight against Charlotte on Jan. 28.

For his efforts this season, Diaz was named All-Conference USA second team, and to the All-C-USA defensive team. 
 
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and at the FIU Football Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is Worlds Ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.