MIAMI – FIU Men's Basketball Head Coach Jeremy Ballard announced on Monday that rising junior Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Fla./Robert Morgan H.S. {Southridge Senior H.S.}) has been awarded a scholarship after playing his first two seasons for the Panthers as a walk-on.

"I feel privileged to announce that Osasumwen Osaghae will be going on full scholarship effective immediately," said Ballard. "This young man is a testament to what happens when you have high character and are focused, driven, and passionate. Osasumwen will provide great rim protection for us defensively while also showcasing his ever-improving offensive skill set. We are extremely proud of the rapid improvement of both his body and game as well as his achievements in the classroom. He has certainly earned this scholarship."

Osaghae saw limited action as a freshman, however, as a sophomore, he saw significant time and was a major presence for FIU defensively in the front court. During the 2017-18 campaign, he averaged 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds-per-game, to go along with 1.2 blocked shots-per-outing which was good enough for eighth in Conference USA. His 33 blocked shots during the season were the most by an FIU player since 2014-15. Osaghae shot 62.7 percent (32-for-51) from the field on the year, while playing in 27 of the Panthers' 32 games, and scored in 15 of his final 16 games after being scoreless in seven of his first 11. He scored double figures in three games, netting 10 points at UTSA, against Southern Miss, and North Texas.

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