Georgia State basketball is back this year with a new arena, a brand new coaching staff and as always, a brand new schedule. As the saying goes, one thing for certain, two things for sure: death, taxes and a new basketball season.
The Panthers will play their first eight games in the brand new state-of-the-art GSU Convocation Center. This is a huge year for GSU as they are fresh off an appearance in the NCAA tournament, where they faced off against the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs led by the number two pick in the 2022 NBA draft Chet Holmgren.
The Panthers hope to continue their success as they play their first game at the Convocation Center against fellow Atlanta native in Morehouse College. After warming up the season in the exhibition, the Panthers get a chance at revenge against Georgia Tech. Last year, the Yellowjackets played host to the Panthers in a Christmas overtime thriller. The Panthers went on to lose by 10 in a game every player wished they could have back.
On Nov. 12, the third game of the season, the Panthers will have the opportunity to get their revenge in the Downtown vs Midtown battle. This year’s contest will take place at the new Convocation Center, providing more reason to beat Georgia Tech this year. This will be a game to watch as it sets up to be the first real test of the season for the Panthers.
Before the new year comes to an end, Georgia State will play the Auburn Tigers. If Auburn plays as well as it did last year, this might pan out to be GSU’s toughest opponent in the earlier part of the season. The Tigers, led by Jabari Smith Jr. made it to the second round of the tournament last year where they lost to a talented University of Miami squad.
Georgia State basketball hasn’t pulled off a victory against Auburn in almost two decades so this will be a great feat for them to accomplish if they manage to pull off the win. Fans should mark their calendars for this exciting Dec. 14 matchup.
Get the Twitter fingers ready because on Jan. 21 and Feb. 2 the hashtag #StateNeverSouthern will be in full effect. Per annual fashion, Georgia State will face off against their in-state rival, Georgia Southern. Contrary to last year, the games between the two won’t be played back-to-back, but this only gives fans more time to catch their breath as they get ready for the highly anticipated matchup. The two have played a total of 34 games against each other with State winning 19 of those meetings. This year Panther fans hope to widen the gap with yet another season sweep over the Eagles.
The Panthers will play their last regular season game at the GSU Convocation Center on Feb. 22. Following this, they’ll play in the Sun Belt Conference tournament for a shot at playing in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.
The 2022-23 Panthers have the potential to be great, but only time will tell. The revamped Panthers have students, fans and the entire conference on watch. Will they meet, exceed or fall short of the expectations people have for them? As the season progresses, the answer to that question will uncover itself but until then we’re all forced to play the waiting game.
