MIAMI — FIU's men's basketball program hosts Kennesaw State on Sunday at 6 p.m. to tip-off a three-game homestand inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
The Panthers, following a grueling stretch of six road/neutral games in their first seven contests, return home to begin a run of six home games in their next seven contests.
FIU looks to regain its footing at home following a 1-6 start in non-conference play. The Panthers have been competitive in every contest and will have a renewed focus with the chance to get back in the win column after stiff competition to start the season.
Head Coach Jeremy Ballard's group has still employed its high-pressure style effectively, sitting second in the nation with 20.14 turnovers forced per game and third-nationally with 12.9 steals per game. Arturo Dean's 24 steals are the most in the nation while his 3.43 per game rank fifth.
Petar Krivokapic's play at the Cayman Islands Classic stood out for the Panthers as he scored a career-high 26 points in an opening round matchup against Akron. The junior from Montenegro was named to the All-Tournament team.
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE
The Owls (4-2) posted solid results at the Pirate Classic in Greenville, N.C. with close wins over Georgia Southern and Northeastern before falling on a buzzer-beater to host-East Carolina.
Simeon Cottle leads the KSU offense with 15.7 ppg in his first six games. 16 of Cottle's 34 field goals have come from behind the three-point line. As a team, the Owls shoot 32.3 three-pointers per game, fourth-most in the nation.
They are also in the top-10 nationally in fast break points (23.0, 4th) and rebounds per game (47.17, 7th).
Both teams play a similar up-and-down style, of which fans can expect an exciting high-scoring game. FIU will need to rebound effectively and attempt to exploit KSU with its high-pressure defense.
