The third in this season’s series of CAA previews is the Georgia State Panthers.

2010-11 in Review: Looking at a team that went 13-20 in 2009-10, the 2010-11 season resembled much of the same for the Panthers of Georgia State, as they went 12-19 with a 6-12 record in-conference. There was no clearly defined starting lineup, or even a set rotation of players, giving the Panthers one of the most-used benches in the country. The Panthers started CAA play 3-1 at the turn of the New Year until an 8-game losing streak lasting most of January took the Panthers well below .500 and out of CAA contention. Georgia State ended the regular season losing five of their last eight to earn the ninth seed in the CAA tournament. At the end of the regular season, head coach Rod Barnes was released an temporarily replaced by assistant coach Paul Graham. In the first round of the CAA Championship, the Panthers faced off against the eighth seeded UNC Wilmington and fended off the Seahawks late surge during the second half for a first round win 58-52. The Panthers would move on to the CAA quarterfinals to face top-seeded George Mason. The Panthers jumped to a quick 11-point lead in the first half, before the Patriots took a 2-point half-time lead they would not relinquish, eventually cruising to a 23-point win, 63-45, ending the Panthers season with a final record of 12-19.

Against Northeastern: The Panthers played the Huskies twice during the 2010-11 season and both were very close contests. In the first of their meetings on Jan. 29 in Boston, the Huskies cruised to a second half lead of 19 points at home lead by senior guard Chaisson Allen with 22. Allen was one of four huskies to score in double digits. With 6:00 to go in the game the Panthers shrunk the Huskies’ lead to five but fell short thanks to clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. In the second game on Feb. 12, the Huskies traveled to Atlanta, Ga. for what would be a close contest. The Huskies, lead by Allen, started out hot against the Panthers to the tune of a 32-15 lead in the first half. However, the Panthers, lead by junior Brandon McGee, finished the first half on a 14-1 run to keep the game close. McGee would finish with 31 points and 13 rebounds. The game stayed close throughout as each team traded baskets down the stretch. The end of regulation saw the Huskies and the Panthers tied at 62, before the Panthers outlasted the Huskies in overtime, winning 74-71.

Key Losses:

• Dante Curry: The senior guard finished his career as one of the top three-point shooters in Georgia State history, knocking down 92 three-pointers in three years as a Panther. Curry averaged five points and 1.1 rebound per game, while hitting 1.24 threes per game. Curry would finish the season shooting 37 percent from behind the arc, hitting 53 of them last season alone, good for 15^th in the conference. The Panthers will miss the shooting presence that Curry brought this coming season.
• Marques Johnson: The senior guard was Georgia’s lone starter returning for 2010-11 and he put together his best season, starting in 23 of 31 games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

Key Returns:

• Brandon McGee: The 6-foot-7 forward from Chicago was the second-leading scorer as a junior last year, averaging 7.7 points and almost five rebounds per game. McGee played in all of the games the Panthers played last season and was a consistent contributor on both sides of the ball for the Georgia State squad. McGee led the Panthers to a come-from-behind victory against Northeastern with a career-high 31 points and 13 rebounds. McGee also hit four of six three-pointers during his 31 point outburst.
• Eric Buckner: The former junior college standout led the Panthers in scoring during his first season with Georgia State. Buckner, a 6-7 forward, led the team in scoring and rebounds with 9.4 and 5.6 per game respectively. Buckner finished the 2010-11 season with 49 blocks, third most in school history, sparking the Panthers to a school record 148 blocks. As a junior, he finished fifth in the CAA with 1.6 blocks per game. Buckner also has excellent low post presence, marked by his team high .548 field goal percentage. The Panthers will look to see Buckner improve from his excellent junior year this year.
• Jihad Ali: The senior guard has been with the program since 2007, taking a red-shirt season after his first year on campus to work on his skills and strength. He started a total of 11 games in his freshmen and sophomore years, but started 19 of 30 games last season and was third on the team in scoring with 7.2 points per game.  In the 2010-11 season, the lefty hit 29 three-pointers and shot .337 from behind the arc. The red-shirt senior has a chance to break the Georgia State record for games played this coming season and his increased productivity and growth throughout the last two seasons are a good sign for the Panthers guard heading into the 2011-12 season.

What to Expect: The players who make up the Panthers roster have not changed much, though they will be playing a new style under new head coach Ron Hunter. After only losing three seniors, the Panthers are hoping their roster full of upperclassmen will help them improve. With seven seniors on the team this season, the Panthers will hope to make a big jump in conference play. The top four scorers are all returning for their senior seasons. The Panthers will use the chemistry established among the seniors to win close games as well as make a run during the grind of conference play.  The Panthers ended last year strong, with a first round victory in the CAA tournament again UNC Wilmington and tough defeat to top-seeded George Mason, which could be a good indicator of what the Panthers are capable of. Georgia State and their four starting seniors will want to make this season “their year” to make a splash in the conference, as well as be a team to keep an eye on the CAA tournament.

- Coray Runge

WRBB Sports Basketball, Fall Sports CAA, Fall Preview, Georgia State