The Georgia State Panthers have a 4-3 record and are currently in sixth place in the Sun Belt Conference. While the Panthers are above .500 at this very moment, they had their chances to make an astounding statement early on against Auburn University and Purdue, who is ranked No.15 in the nation.
“We learned that we can play with one of the best teams in the country. However, we also learned we need to finish better. It was tough with four guys fouling out, but when those opportunities exist, you have to take advantage of them,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said in regards to his team having a legitimate shot at beating Auburn down the stretch.
So far this season, the Panthers have shown signs of being two-faced in regards to their level of play. At times, they have showed great promise by playing cohesively and executing their game plan.Other times, they have left the door open to criticism by being inconsistent on both ends of the court.
It is apparent that the team has a knack for being careless with the ball. The Panthers managed to turn the ball over 37 times in the two games that they have lost this year. Their total turnover count is 54, with Willie Clayton (17) and Jeremy Hollowell (14) accumulating the most turnovers on the team.
Within five games Georgia State has amassed 128 fouls, according to sunbeltsports.org They also have five players that have fouled out of a match at least once (Clayton, Hollowell, Isaiah Dennis, Malik Benlevi and Jordan Sessions).
Coach Hunter mentioned during a press release on Nov. 18, that with the Panthers having four players foul out of the game against Auburn, they toughened their chances of putting themselves in a better position to perhaps leave Auburn Arena victorious.
The Panthers have much to look forward to this year. Every team experiences bumps in the road that must be ironed out to make their season one of significance. Luckily for the Panthers, this team is high on resilience, battling through a bit of a roller coaster start to the season. After losing back-to-back against Auburn and Purdue, the Panthers found their groove, prompting a two-game winning streak.
Georgia State’s most conceivably impressive victory came against Eastern Kentucky, where the Panthers dominated their opponent with a huge 82-65 win that ultimately crowned them the Mayan Division champions of the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 23. During that game, the Panthers played tenaciously on the defensive end, allowing their opponent to shoot just 33 percent from the field and a miserable 19 percent from behind the three-point line.
“I thought those games that we played last week really prepared us to come down here and play well,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said after his teams’ drubbing of the Colonels. “Defensively we have been outstanding all year. We have been holding teams to under 40 percent shooting, and our guys are really getting after it. It is a fun team to coach, and it will be great to bring this trophy back to Atlanta.”
It will be interesting to see if Georgia State can continue to elevate their game going forward.
Purrfect Panthers
The Panthers won the Mayan Division of the Cancun Challenge on Nov.23 at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya Hotel. The win came against Eastern Kentucky as Georgia State cruised to an 82-65 victory. While the team as a whole played well, it is hard for one not to notice the spark the new additions to this team have provided.
The Panthers have played just one home game so far this season, so you may not be familiar with these players just yet.
Here’s an in-depth look at how these newly acquired additions have helped Georgia State to a 3-2 record:
D’Marcus Simonds is a freshman out of Gainesville High school, who was ranked No. 72 in the country in the ESPN 100, has been playing well for the Panthers. Although coach Hunter has said many times before that, Simonds is still learning how to play on a collegiate level; the 6-foot-3 guard has played huge minutes for the Panthers as of late. In fact, coach Hunter has started Simonds which is considered by most an unusual decision.
His most impressive outing came against NJIT, where he exploded for 26 points on 11-15 shooting. He has certainly shown flashes of being an elite scorer for the Panthers. If that doesn’t lead to more optimism for this team, consider the fact that he also earned all-tournament MVP honors. Yea, the kid has skills.
Willie Clayton who is also known as “The Big Friendly Giant,” has been a force on the low-block. Coming in, coach Hunter quickly referred to Clayton as the big man in the middle that is going to create second-chance points for the team with his work on the boards. While at Charlotte University, Clayton was recognized for being a tenacious rebounder, and now that he is in the Sun Belt Conference, he has continued to carry that same reputation.
During the Cancun Challenge, Clayton has grabbed a total of 35 rebounds, showing great hustle on both ends of the floor. He has also been able to alter defender’s shots often. Look for Clayton to continue to be the anchor for the Panther’s defense.
Justin Seymour has had a hard time finding minutes at times but is a player who without a doubt makes the most of his appearances. During the Panthers’ four-game trip in Mexico, Seymour’s best performance came against Auburn, where he scored 20 points and played a game-high 33 minutes. His next best game was against Eastern Kentucky as he scored 15 points shooting 5-6 from long-range and earned all-tournament honors.Seymour is starting to prove he is a durable player and is capable of scoring from behind the arc.
