FIU coach Isiah Thomas will tell you he didn't know much about his current employer before he was hired April 15.

Outside of some research Thomas did online in which he learned the school has nearly 40,000 students, more than 140,000 alumni and 42 buildings on its burgeoning campus, making it one of the 25 largest universities in nation, the FIU coach didn't get a sense of his new school until a recent meeting with FIU president Mark Rosenberg.

``The president told me vision is the art of seeing the invisible,'' Thomas said. ``Then he pulled out a picture of FIU in 1975. And all there was at the time were two buildings and an airport tower. And he said, `Now somebody saw everything that's here right now,' and I see what this basketball program can be if we connect the dots.''

Entering the 2009-10 season, the FIU men's basketball program is in a situation similar to what the university was like nearly 35 years ago.

Not much of a foundation, but plenty of promise.

With Thomas at the helm, the Golden Panthers believe -- like their university did over the course of time -- that the basketball program can develop into one that makes it into the Top 25.

The first step to this journey was taken Monday night against defending national champion North Carolina at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill.

Although FIU did not win the season opener, the players did get a sense of the type of program they want to become.

``This is what college basketball is all about,'' FIU point guard Phil Gary said shortly after the 88-72 loss to the Tar Heels. ``Playing the national champions gives you an idea of the type of program we want to become one day. FIU doesn't have the winning tradition, but we want to be the ones to start it and make history.''

This season, FIU does not have much size (its tallest player is 6-9), no true center and very little experience (no returning starters and seven new players), but Thomas is preaching aggressive defense and being competitive until the final second of each game.

``We realize we are not going to outsize anyone,'' said 6-9 forward Marlon Bright, who guarded 7-0 forward Tyler Zeller on Monday. ``To succeed we have to be quicker than most teams and be very tenacious on defense.''

The Golden Panthers forced 26 turnovers and finished the game on a 16-8 run.

``The most impressive stat for us was we created and forced 26 turnovers,'' Thomas said. ``If we get good enough in transition where we can handle the basketball and make plays in transition and capitalize off those turnovers we got a chance to be a pretty interesting team as the season progresses.''

Thomas said it's going to take time for the program to develop.

FIU has some impressive recruits that are expected to sign Wednesday.

Among them are Dominique Ferguson (the 10th-ranked forward in the nation by rivals.com) and Phil Taylor (the 37th-ranked guard in the nation). Chris Coleman (the fifth-ranked center in the nation) is committed to FIU for 2011.

However, Thomas' target this season is March 6.

That's when the Sun Belt tournament begins in Hot Springs, Ark.

``If we're a good unit going into conference play, then we'll take our chances with the four games in March,'' Thomas said. ``If we win the four games in March [to capture the Sun Belt and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament], then it's a good year.''

And the connecting of the dots will have started.

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