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 - First Round • No. 14 GEORGIA STATE (24-9) vs. No. 3 HOUSTON (31-3) March 22, 2019, 7:20 p.m. ET • BOK Center • Tulsa, Okla. TV: TBS • Radio: WAOK-AM 1380/WRAS-FM 88.5/Sirius 137/XM 203 2018-19 RECORDS GET READY FOR THE GAME... Georgia State: 24-9, 13-5 Sun Belt • Georgia State will make its fi ft h appearance in the NCAA Tournament (second-straight) and third in fi ve years (2015). H: 13-1, A: 7-7, N: 4-1 • Th e Panthers are 2-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with a 1-1 mark as a No. 14 seed. #9/#11 Houston: 31-3, 16-2 American • In 2015, No. 14-seed Georgia State shocked No. 3-seed Baylor 57-56 by scoring the fi nal 13 points of the game, capped by a R.J. Hunter 30-foot 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds to play. H: 19-1, A: 11-1, N: 1-1 • GSU also won its fi rst game of the 2001 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11-seed by topping No. 6-seed Wisconsin 50-49. • In both NCAA Tournament wins, Georgia State trailed by double fi gures at one point in the game. HEAD COACH • Georgia State is 3-1 all-time against teams from the AAC including a win over Tulane earlier this year. Th e Panthers only Ron Hunter (Miami (Ohio), 1986) loss to the league came in last year’s NCAA Tournament falling to Cincinnati, 68-53. • Th e month of March has been good to the Panthers the last few years. Since 2014, GSU is 20-9 in March, having GSU: 171-94 (8th Yr.) lost only two regular season contests during that time. Career: 445-313 (25th Yr.) • Georgia State has already secured a sixth-straight winning season for the fi rst time in program history. NCAA: 1-3 (4th appearance) • Georgia State has won 24 games, tied for fourth-most in program history. Th e Panthers have won 20 or more games in a season nine times with six of those coming in Ron Hunter’s eight years as head coach. SERIES RECORDS • GSU has 11 wins away from home this year (7 road, 4 neutral) which is fi ft h-most in program history. • GSU is the ONLY program in the country with four players to knock down 50 or more 3-pointers this year. All-time series with Houston: First Meeting • GSU along with Duke and Auburn are the only programs in the country to have at least four players with 25 or more blocked shots this season. • GSU is 22-0 when leading at the half this season. Th e Panthers have the second-most wins in the country without a loss NCAA TOURNAMENT #’s when leading at the half. Gonzaga leads the nation with 25 wins. • Th e Panthers already have fi ve wins this season when trailing by more than eight points, including come-from- Overall Record: 2-4 behind wins of 22 (Alabama) and 18 (South Alabama). - 2018 L. No. 2 Cincinnati, 68-53 • Georgia State’s 24-9 start is the tied for the third-best 33-game start in program history. - 2015: d. No. 3 Baylor, 57-56 • Georgia State went 5-7 this year against teams that made the postseason, including an 0-3 mark against NCAA l. No. 6 Xavier, 75-67 Tournament teams, though all three of those games were away from home. - 2001: d. No. 6 Wisconsin, 50-49 • GSU has beaten two Power 5 opponents in one season for the second time in program history (Georgia and l. No. 3 Maryland, 79-60 Alabama). Th ose wins are the only two P5 wins for Sun Belt schools this season. - 1991: l. No. 1 Arkansas, 117-76 • Georgia State set a school record with 324 3-pointers this season aft er setting the school and conference with 323 last season. Th e Sun Belt mark currently belongs to ULM with 330 this season. • Georgia State has recorded four of the 11 best 3-pointers made in a single game this season. Th e Panthers have had GEORGIA STATE ON THE AIR games with 16, 15 and 14 3-pointers (twice) so far this regular season. • Th e Panthers 38.8 3-point fi eld goal percentage is currently the best mark in program history. Radio: WAOK-AM 1380, WRAS-FM 88.5 • Since the 2013-14 season, GSU has won more games (134) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia. Sirius 137/XM 203, GSU Mobile App • D’Marcus Simonds earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors earlier this week. He is averaging 17.9 points per game PbP: Dave Cohen (36th Year) for his career which currently ranks No. 24 among all active NCAA players and is tops in the Sun Belt. He has made 633 career fi eld goals (most in school history) which is No. 38 active players and the No. 4 junior in the country. • Jeff Th omas (214/t3rd), Devin Mitchell (214/t3rd), and Malik Benlevi (182/6th) all rank among Georgia State Internet: Live stats at GeorgiaStateSports.com career top 10 in 3-point fi eld goals made. Television: TBS • GSU is one of just 13 programs in the country to feature two assistant coaches who have NCAA D1 head coach PbP: Brad Nessler, Sideline: Evan Washburn experience (McCallum - Ball State/Houston/Detroit and Williams - Tennessee State). Color: Steven Lavin and Jim Jackson • Head Coach Ron Hunter has led the Panthers to six of the eight most successful seasons in program history, including a pair of 25-win and 24-win seasons. PROBABLE STARTERS Pos # Name ...................................Ht Wt Cl. PPG RPG Notes G 1 Damon Wilson .......................6-5 200 R-Jr. 5.4 3.1 First career double-double (11 pts./11 rebs.) vs. GS G 12 Kane Williams ........................6-3 190 So. 11.3 a3.6 Leads team with 64 steals ranked No. 36 in the nation G 15 D’Marcus Simonds ................6-3 195 Jr. 18.4 5.0 All-Sun Belt First Team honors; SBC All-Tournament Team F 2 Malik Benlevi .........................6-6 225 Sr. 12.1 5.8 3-straight double-doubles, SBC Tournament MOP F 30 Jeff Th omas .............................6-5 190 Sr. 11.7 4.5 T-3rd most career 3-pointers in program history (214) RESERVES .................................................. F 0 Kavonte Ivery .........................6-7 230 Fr. 0.4 0.7 Appeared in 16 games off the bench this season G 10 Nelson Phillips .......................6-4 175 Fr. 5.2 3.3 Shooting 55.7 percent from the fl oor this season F 14 Chris Clerkley ........................6-9 235 Jr. 0.8 1.2 Missed last 28 games due to an injury F 20 Josh Linder .............................6-9 205 So. 1.3 1.1 Appeared in 21 games, 70.6 fi eld goal percentage F 21 James Wall ..............................6-8 190 Fr. 0.0 0.1 Played 11 minutes in 7 appearances this year G 24 Devin Mitchell .......................6-4 190 Sr. 12.2 1.9 Knocked down 82 3-pointers in last 25 games G 35 Matt Chism .............................6-3 185 So. 0.6 0.4 Played 12 minutes in 8 appearances this year F 50 Jordan Tyson ..........................6-9 215 Sr. 2.6 2.5 Pulled down career-high 9 rebounds on Senior Day Georgia State Men’s Basketball Notes (page 2) 2018-19 SCHEDULE GEORGIA STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT Georgia State is making its second-straight and fi ft h overall appearance in the Big Date Opponent Time/Result Dance and owns a 2-4 mark in NCAA tournament play. Last year as a No. 15 seed, the Nov. 6 EAST TENNESSEE STATE (ESPN+) W, 74-68 Panthers dropped a hard-fought game to No. 2 Cincinnati 68-53 despite leading in the Nov. 9 at Montana (PLUTO-TV) L, 74-81 second half. Nov. 13 MERCER (ESPN+) W, 62-60 However, the Panthers Cinderalla story came in 2015 against No. 3-seed Baylor, Cayman Islands Classic as R.J. Hunter’s 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left capped a 13-0 run that lift ed No. 14 Nov. 19 vs. St. Bonaventure (Stadium) W, 75-65 seed Georgia State to a 57-56 victory in the NCAA West Regional second round at Nov. 20 vs. Creighton (Stadium) L, 68-93 Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Nov. 21 vs. Georgia (Stadium) W, 91-67 Two days later, Georgia State suff ered a 75-67 loss to No. 6-seed Xavier. Th e two Nov. 28 at Tulane W, 80-76 teams combined to make 49 of 80 baskets (61.25%), the highest in an NCAA tourna- Dec. 1 at Liberty (ESPN+) L, 52-78 ment game in more than 20 years. Dec. 4 at Alabama (SECN+) W, 83-80 Prior to 2015, the previous appearance came in 2001 under legendary head coach Dec. 12 CHATTANOOGA (ESPN+) W, 95-88 Charles “Left y” Driesell when Georgia State was sent to Boise, Idaho. As a No. 11 seed, Dec. 15 at #24 Kansas State (Fox Sports KC) L, 59-71 Georgia State upset No. 6 seed Wisconsin in the fi rst round before falling to eventual Dec. 19 UNC WILMINGTON (ESPN+) W, 86-71 Final Four participant No.