The 2026-27 season marks a new era for FIU Men’s Basketball. They are coming off a 15-17 campaign in which the Panthers finished 8-12 in Conference USA play. FIU looks to move forward with first-year head coach Joey Cantens and a revamped roster.
2025-26 may have ended with a first-round exit to Missouri State in the CUSA tournament, but there’s reason for optimism. The Panthers face a challenging non-conference schedule and a demanding conference slate, and how quickly they can win consistently will depend on it.
Year One for Coach Cantens
After a successful stint as the head coach at Daytona State, a JUCO program, Cantens was hired to rebuild the FIU program. Cantens, a Miami native, started his collegiate playing career at FIU, where he was with the program for just a season before transferring to Eckerd College.
Can't wait to get going with these two 🫡 https://t.co/xI9igmuqIX pic.twitter.com/lJQESD0kZm
— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) October 15, 2026
Year one will be about building the team’s identity, setting the rotation, and getting a retooled group comfortable playing together. With a new coaching staff and plenty of newcomers, FIU’s ability to build chemistry will be as important as individual talent.
Projected Starters
Corey Caulker – Guard
Caulkner brings experience from East Carolina after finishing third in the American in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.4. He also finished eighth in the conference in assists (117) and assists per game (3.8). In the Panthers exhibition game against Murray State, Caulker had nine points, four assists and two rebounds in 28 minutes played.
Tijan Saine Jr. – Guard
Saine Jr. enters this season as the lone Panther on the Preseason All-Conference USA team. He led the Big Sky Conference in scoring with 20.8 points per game. His strong season earned him first-team All-Big Sky honors. Saine started the exhibition game and, in 28 minutes, dropped eight points, going 3-for-7 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc. Saine and Trey Beamer will start at guard for the Panthers.
KNOCKED THE ROOF OFF THIS PLACE 🗣️@TijanSaine pic.twitter.com/nBXpfYtDbV
— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) October 22, 2026
Trey Beamer – Guard
Beamer, a four-star high school recruit, was originally committed to Boston College before a coaching change. He believed in the vision that Canten’s staff had and joined the Panthers, even if it will be for one season. In all three preseason games, Beamer scored 20 or more points, capped off by a 21-point performance against Murray State.
The expectation is that Beamer will be the Panthers’ primary scoring option this upcoming season.
Justin Roman – Guard
Roman, an incoming freshman, won the gold medal at the 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo. The Puerto Rican native is a two-time SIAA state champ and 1,000-point scorer. He has represented his country at the FIBA level, appearing in the U17 World Basketball Cup, U16 Americas Championship and the Centrobasket U15 Championship.
Seydina N’Diaye – Forward
N’Diaye made 35 appearances for the Falcons under Coach Cantens last season. He shot 58.6% from the floor, averaging 6.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. The sophomore got the starting nod against Murray State and finished second in scoring, with 12 points. He also had seven rebounds, two blocks and three assists. This will mark the first full Division I season for N’Diaye.
Role Players
Noah Mendy – Guard
Cantens brought Mendy over from Daytona State after averaging 17.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. The No. 6 JUCO prospect in the country led the Falcons in scoring on their NJCAA postseason run. Mendy came off the bench in the Panthers’ final preseason game, playing 22 minutes and scoring four points. Defensively, he also had three steals.
CJ Hall – Guard
Mason Blazer – Guard
Blazer played in 31 games last season at Florida Southwestern, averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 49.2% from the floor and 42.1% from three. The JUCO transfer faced Cantens twice last season and when Blazer hit the portal, it was a priority for Cantens to bring him to FIU. Blazer recorded 21 minutes in the Murray State exhibition, posting eight points, three rebounds, one assist and shot 2-4 from beyond the arc.
Huascar Cuevas – Guard
In 2021, he represented the Dominican Republic at the FIBA 3×3 U18 Championship. Cuevas spent two years at Daytona State with Cantens before transferring to Wagner, where he played in five games before missing the rest of the season with an injury. At Daytona State, Cuevas played in 31 games, started three, and averaged 8.6 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Falcons. He was also named to the All-Citrus Conference Second Team and the NJCAA Region 8 All-Tournament Team in the 2024-25 season.
Ramone Seals – Forward
Andreas Holst – Forward
Holst played for Denmark at the FIBA U18 Championship, averaging 8.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per outing. He is a transfer from Oklahoma, where he did not appear in any games. The Copenhagen native was the number 68 recruit in the 2025 class and was rated a four-star via On3.
Chiang Ring – Forward
Ring is an NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team selection and is a three-time ICCAC D1 Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week. He made 33 appearances at Indian Hills last season, averaging 10.4 points. Ring led his team in rebounds (6.9) and his conference in blocks (1.8).
Gvidas Gicevicius – Forward
He is the only returning player after being redshirted last season. Gicevicius won a bronze medal with Zalgiris II, averaging 8.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, shooting 41.1% from the floor and 33% from three. He will miss the season due to an injury.
Jerald Colonel – Forward
Colonel is the lone fifth-year on the team, but is currently ineligible to play for the team. The Panthers are seeking an injunction, but until there is one, he will be a practice player.
An experienced frontcourt option with size and physicality, Colonel arrives at the 305 as the reigning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was also part of the All-Defensive Team after leading the conference in blocks (87) and blocks per game (2.6).
Jaylin Payne – Forward
Payne played in 29 games last season for the Longwood Pacers, averaging 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds, while shooting 54%. Standing at 6’8″ and 228 pounds, Payne slots in as the backup big man for the Panthers. Against Murray State, he played 16 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds.
JPAYNE PUNISHES THE RIM@JaylinPayne10 pic.twitter.com/rOxZ7LG4Gu
— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) October 22, 2026
Standout Games
November 17 – at UAB Blazers
A past conference rival returns to the schedule this season. The UAB Blazers are a historically strong mid-major program, and this is an early-season road test for the Panthers. Former assistant coach Jesse Bopp is now in the same role at UAB. The Blazers went 20-12 last season and fell in the first round of the American Conference Championship tournament.
December 2 – vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
This is arguably FIU’s must-watch non-conference game of the season. The rivalry resumes after a one-year hiatus. The Panthers are currently 28-27 all-time against the Owls. FAU defeated Keiser and The Citadel in their preseason games. Last season, the Owls went 18-15, reaching the second round of the American Conference Championship, but fell to North Texas.
December 12 – at Xavier Musketeers
FIU has a huge opportunity to earn a statement win against a Big East team. This matchup is on the tougher side for the Panthers, who have not beaten the Musketeers. Former FIU head coach Richard Pitino is now at Xavier in the same position. The Panthers have faced Xavier twice, but never come away with a victory. The last time these two programs matched up was in 1988, where FIU fell 122-95.
December 16 – at UCF Knights
The Panthers face a Big 12 opponent in what looks to be a measuring-stick game. The Knights have had recent success, reaching the NCAA tournament last season. Former FIU guard and Conference USA Freshman of the Year Arturo Dean now plays for UCF. This will be the Panthers’ first trip to Orlando since 2023. FIU holds the all-time record, 13-9.
January 2 vs. Sam Houston and March 4 at Bearkats
After finishing second in CUSA, the Bearkats have high expectations once again. FIU looks to bounce back from two double-digit losses in 2025-26.
January 7 vs. Liberty and February 6 at Flames
It won’t be easy facing the reigning Conference USA regular-season champion. On the bright side, FIU did keep the Flames in two close-possession games last season. This will be a nationally televised game, on ESPN2. It will mark the first time that the men’s basketball program will be on ESPN2.
January 23 at Western Kentucky and February 18 vs. Hilltoppers
This is an important conference matchup against the Hilltoppers, who received five first-place votes and 94 points in the MBB Preseason Poll.
January 30 vs. Kennesaw State and February 27 at Owls
Prediction & MVP
FIU has a building block around Saine Jr. They have a roster full of experience and a new coaching staff looking to establish itself. If the new players perform and the Panthers are consistent on offense, they could become one of the toughest teams to play in Conference USA. On the other side, FIU will have to show it can defend, rebound, and close out games before expectations increase.
FIU can define what the next era of this program looks like. Roster turnover is tricky to predict as transfer portal additions don’t automatically guarantee success. The Panthers are currently ranked ninth in the CUSA Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll with 25 points. FIU hasn’t finished top 5 in their conference or had a .500 record since 2020.
🏀 2026-27 MBB PRESEASON POLL 🏀#NoLimitsOnUs | https://t.co/ZRUnWpyMiU pic.twitter.com/Hv2zmctLM4
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) October 8, 2026
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