Georgia State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have been the talk of the town. After last season, where the teams were ineligible to play in a conference championship, the patience of fans and students alike has been rewarded.
The men’s team is outright Sun Belt champions, earning them the No. 1 seed in the tournament, while the women’s team is one win away from clinching the tournament in New Orleans.
“I’m definitely looking forward to our first conference tournament in the Sun Belt,” Daniel Wilson said, better known to Georgia State students and fans as “Blue Man.”
Georgia State’s athletic teams were ineligible to participate in the conference tournaments in the 2012-13 season as a condition of its move out of the Colonial Athletic Association.
Now, in its first season back in the Sun Belt Conference, teams and opposing fans alike have been reintroduced to Georgia State in a big way.
“This is very different from last year because last year we couldn’t compete for a conference title,” Wilson said. “So, for us to do what we’ve done in our first year in a new conference is simply awesome.”
Wilson will be going to The Big Easy along with an array of others seen with regularity in the student section, including Nick Bray. Both Wilson and he are seniors that hope to graduate in December of 2014, according to Wilson.
When it came to organizing the students to make the trip to New Orleans, Wilson said that everything goes through Bray.
“Nick’s the man. He’s been the main one that has been setting everything up for us to go the tournament,” Wilson said. “In fact, we’ve even connected a few others as well, so that’s good as well.”
Georgia State’s athletic department said its corporate sponsors have allowed for it to fill two buses full of 53 students each to make the trip to New Orleans, with a waiting list of about 15. A bus is also being made available for the band, spirit squads and any additional fans.
“We want as many that are part of Panther Nation to come as possible,” said Wilson.
This year’s tournament will be held at the Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans. The venue is approximately five miles north of Downtown New Orleans, where the Sun Belt Conference is headquartered.
In addition to the team and its Sixth Man, the spirit squads are also planning for the trip.
“Considering that I’ve never been to New Orleans, I’m definitely looking forward to heading down there, supporting the teams and getting the experience of the city,” said Brian Cleveland, a member of the Georgia State band.
The band is not the only portion of Georgia State’s spirit squad that will make the trip to the Crescent City.
The cheerleaders and Pantherettes will travel to New Orleans adding to the Panthers’ caravan.
“The fact that we’ll be performing there too and supporting our Panthers definitely helps us too,” said Sarah Oliver of the cheerleading squad.
Oliver is one of 27 members of Georgia State’s co-ed cheerleading squad. In addition to students and fans, school spirit for the Panthers will be in full effect in the Crescent City.
“Our teams will certainly have the support of our fans and our spirit squads,” Oliver said.
Sarah Oliver is confident about this season leading to bigger things for the Panthers.
New Orleans is where those big things could begin. Since Georgia State is playing in a mid-major conference, they most likely have to win the Sun Belt Tournament in order to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
“As long as we play our game and don’t get tripped up by lower seeds, we should be fine,” Wilson said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll win the Sun Belt and move on to the NCAA Tournament.”
