Georgia State Stadium, 755 Hank Aaron Drive, Atlanta, GA 30315 Mike Holmes, Associate Athletics Director Office: 404.413.4033 • Cell: 404.259.9716 • Email: [email protected] GeorgiaStateSports.com | Twitter: @GeorgiaStateMBB NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1991, 2001, 2015, 2018, 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championships: 2014 (R), 2015, (R) 2015 (T), 2018 (T), 2019 (R), 2019 (T) Game 30: GEORGIA STATE (18-11, 11-7 Sun Belt) vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (17-12, 11-7 Sun Belt) February 28, 2020, 7 p.m. • GSU Sports Arena • Atlanta, Ga. TV: ESPN+ • Radio: WRAS-FM 88.5 & GSU Mobile App 2019-20 RECORDS GET READY FOR THE GAME... Georgia State: 18-11, 11-7 Sun Belt • Georgia State and Georgia Southern will meet for the second time (GSU won the first 82-77) this season in H: 11-1, A: 6-10, N: 1-0 the 60th meeting all-time between the two programs. Georgia Southern: 17-12, 11-7 Sun Belt • The 60 meetings are the second-most GSU has faced any other opponent (Mercer - 83). H: 10-3, A: 6-8, N: 1-1 • The Eagles lead the all-time series 36-23, however the Panthers are 14-6 in the last 20 meetings. • GSU won nine-straight home meetings in the series. Georgia Southern has not won in Atlanta since 1992. HEAD COACH • Georgia State enters play in a tie with Georgia Southern and South Alabama for third-place in the Sun Belt Conference standings at 11-7 behind first place Little Rock and Texas State. Rob Lanier (St. Bonaventure, 1990) • One point in the annual Rivalry Series will be up for grabs which is currently tied 5-5. GSU: 18-11 (1st Yr.) • GSU has won 24 of their last 26 home contests, including the last two following a stretch of 15 straight. Career: 76-81 (5th Yr.) • The Panthers are 98-of-125 (78.4 percent) at the free throw line over the last six games and are shooting 73.3 percent at the charity stripe this year which would be the fourth-best mark in program history. SERIES RECORDS • GSU stands as the second-highest ranked team in the latest NET Rankings sitting at No. 119. Texas State is the highest rated team in the league at No. 117. All-Time Series: GS leads 36-23 • Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular Last meeting: GSU, 82-77, 1/25/20 in Statesboro season conference standings five times in six seasons. Last ATL meeting: GSU, 81-72, 2/2/19 • GSU is 89-41 in Sun Belt Conference regular season games since rejoining the league in 2013-14. The GSU has won 6 of the last 7 meetings Panthers are 31-22 in the month of February since that time. GSU has won nine straight home games dating • Georgia State has won 51-straight games dating back to 1999 when scoring 90 or more points. back to 1992 against the Eagles. • GSU ranks No. 1 in the Sun Belt in scoring offense, FG percentage defense, 3-point percentage, 3-point percentage defense, blocked shots, steals, and 3-pointers made per game. • GSU is currently ranked No. 9 in the country allowing opponents to shoot just 28.7 percent from 3-point range. GEORGIA STATE ON THE AIR GSU also ranks No. 35 in the country as opponents are shooting just 39.8 percent from the floor. • The Panthers are averaging 78.6 points per game, among the top 5 best averages in program history and Radio: WRAS-FM 88.5 & GSU Mobile App currently ranked No. 21 in the NCAA. PbP: Dave Cohen • GSU is shooting 37.0 percent from 3-point range which ranks No. 31 in the NCAA. The Panthers have also Color: Lamont McIntosh knocked down 255 3-pointers which is the 34th-most in the country. • Georgia State is currently forcing 15.86 turnovers per contest, the 36th-best mark in the NCAA. Internet: Live stats at GeorgiaStateSports.com • Junior Kane Williams, who was named Tournament MVP of the 2K Empire Classic and to the All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team is averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Television: ESPN+ • GSU is swiping 7.9 steals per game, ranked No. 44 in the NCAA with 230 total steals (No. 33rd). PbP: Sam Crenshaw • GSU has won more games (152) than any other Division I team in Georgia since the start of 2013-14. Color: Rodney Turner • Kane Williams is one of just nine active juniors in the country to have won conference tournaments in each of their first two years and appeared in NCAA Tournament games. PROBABLE STARTERS Pos # Name .................................... Ht Wt Cl. PPG RPG Notes G 1 Damon Wilson .......................6-5 190 Sr. 10.9 5.0 Ninth in Sun Belt averaging 4.4 defensive rebs. per game G 2 Justin Roberts .........................5-11 170 R-So. 13.3 3.8 Second in the Sun Belt with a 39.9 3-point FG percentage G 11 Corey Allen ............................6-2 205 R-Jr. 14.3 3.1 10th in Sun Belt in scoring, t1st with 68 3-pointers G 12 Kane Williams ........................6-3 190 Jr. 14.3 a4.4 Tied career-high with 23 Saturday at Texas State C 23 Joe Jones III ............................6-9 245 Fr. 3.8 3.5 Shooting 51.8 percent from the floor this year RESERVES .................................................. F 0 Kavonte Ivery .........................6-6 215 So. 3.5 2.2 Tied career-high with 20 minutes at Texas State F 14 Chris Clerkley ........................6-9 235 R-Jr. 1.1 1.2 Graduated with a degree in speech communications G 10 Nelson Phillips .......................6-4 185 So. 8.0 3.6 Match career-high with 20 pts. against Coastal Carolina F 20 Josh Linder .............................6-8 210 Jr. 5.1 3.6 Finished with 5 pts./4 rebs. at UT Arlington G 21 Kalik Brooks ...........................6-5 170 Fr. 0.0 0.1 Walk-on who has appeared in eight games this season C 25 Jalen Thomas ..........................6-10 230 Fr. 5.4 3.8 Leads team with 36 blocked shots, 5th in the Sun Belt F 35 Ahmid Bryant ........................6-6 200 Jr. 0.7 0.3 Finished with 2 pts. & 1 reb. in debut vs. Middle Ga. St. G 55 Zach Pina ................................5-10 180 Fr. 0.0 0.0 Walk-on who saw first action against ULM Georgia State Men’s Basketball Notes (page 2) 2019-20 SCHEDULE MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU Date Opponent Time/Result Since joining the Sun Belt six years ago, Georgia State has won three conference Nov. 1 POINT (EXH.) W, 101-66 regular season titles, finished as a regular season runner-up twice, advanced to four Nov. 6 BREWTON-PARKER (ESPN+) W, 104-35 conference tournament finals, and won three tournament titles in New Orleans. The Nov. 9 at College of Charleston (FloHoops) L, 84-80 Panthers go for a fourth tournament title this year. 2K Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project Over the six-plus year stretch, the Panthers are 89-41 in Sun Belt Conference Nov. 15 at (#2) Duke (ACC Network) L, 74-63 regular season games. The 89 wins are the most in the league during that time and Nov. 17 at (rv) Georgetown (FS1) L, 91-83 stand 10 ahead of Louisiana and 12 ahead of UT Arlington. GSU has finished in the Nov. 22 vs. Prairie View A&M (FloHoops) W, 83-74 top two in the Sun Belt regular season standings five times in the last six years. Nov. 23 at California Baptist (FloHoops) W, 69-60 Nov. 27 CHARLOTTE (ESPN+) W, 81-78 ot HOME SWEET HOME Dec. 3 DARTMOUTH (ESPN+) W, 83-80 ot Dec. 7 at Mercer (ESPN+) W, 73-61 Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Georgia State is 104-22 in the comfy con- Dec. 19 UT ARLINGTON * (ESPN+) W, 83-77 fines of the GSU Sports Arena. Dec. 21 TEXAS STATE * (ESPN+) W, 81-69 The Panthers have gone 82-12 at home the last six seasons, including a 13-1 mark Dec. 23 at SMU (ESPN3) L, 85-76 at home last year and 10-1 mark this season. During that span, Georgia State put Dec. 30 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE (ESPN+) W, 83-53 together an 18-game winning streak which ranks second-longest in school history Jan. 2 at Appalachian State * (ESPN+) W, 69-60 and a 15-game streak that is tied for third longest when it ended on Feb. 1. Jan. 4 at Coastal Carolina * (ESPN+) L, 74-72 Jan. 6 at Arkansas State *(ESPN+) L, 90-87 LONGEST HOME COURT WINNING STREAKS Jan. 9 LOUISIANA * (ESPN+) W, 90-52 25 2-24-00 to 12-12-02 (last three games of 1999-00, all of 2000-01, through first six games Jan. 11 UL MONROE * (ESPN+) W, 84-62 of 2001-02) * Third-longest home win streak in the nation when ended Jan. 16 at South Alabama * (ESPN+) W, 72-63 18 11-13-13 to 1-5-15 (all of 2013-14 season, first five games of 2014-15 season) Jan. 18 at Troy * (ESPN+) L, 75-65 15 1-26-19 to 1-30-20 (last 6 games of 2018-19, first 9 of 2019-20) Jan. 25 at Georgia Southern * (ESPN+) W, 82-77. 15 1-10-15 to 1-14-16 (last seven games of 2014-15, first eight games of 2015-16) Jan.