The FIU Panthers’ Osasumwen Osaghae named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year

FIU’s Osasumwen Osaghae was named on Tuesday the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, an award he is “well deserving of”, according to Panthers men’s basketball coach Jeremy Ballard.

Osaghae, a 6-9, 235-pound senior from Miami Southridge, leads the nation in total shot-blocks (116) and swats per game (3.7). He ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (3.1) and fourth in total boards (8.1). He is also FIU’s career leader in blocks (246), taking advantage of his 7-foot-3 wingspan.

It’s the first Player of the Year award for an FIU basketball standout since the Panthers joined Conference USA in 2013.

“I’ve said for over a year that ‘O’ is the most impactful defensive player in the country,” Ballard told The Herald on Tuesday. “He can guard every position effectively, and it’s a team award as well.”

Osaghae had eight blocks in one game twice this season, and he hopes to have another dominant performance on Wednesday night at 7:30, when his fifth-seeded Panthers (18-13, 9-9) play 12th-seeded Rice (15-16, 7-11) in the first round of the C-USA tournament in Frisco, Texas.

On Monday, Osaghae and fellow FIU senior Devon Andrews were named to the All-C-USA second team and not first team, which was surely disappointing to anyone who roots for the Panthers.

“It will be a motivating thing for our team – more fuel for the fire,” Ballard said. “The respect is not there yet. We didn’t earn enough respect.”