Georgia State Panthers Season Preview

Mar 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia State Panthers head coach Ron Hunter reacts against the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns in the first half of the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference college basketball tournament at Lakefront Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

After a dramatic and heartbreaking loss to UL Lafayette in the Sun Belt conference tournament last year, head coach Ron Hunter is looking to get more success out of the Georgia State Panthers this season and lead them to the NCAA tournament for only the third time in the school’s history.

Last year did not go the way Hunter — the conference’s Coach of the Year — and his Panthers had envisioned. In their first season in the Sun Belt Conference, they went 17-1 in conference play and finished with a 25-9 record overall. After not receiving an automatic bid into the NCAA tourney, the Panthers ended up playing in the NIT against the K.J. McDaniels-led Clemson Tigers. Although the Tigers were the higher seed heading into the game, many believed that the Panthers were the favorites to win after finishing with the better overall record. The Tigers’ smothering defense was too much for the Panthers, though, and they were out of the first round after a 78-66 loss.

However, this year the Panthers are looking to come back stronger than ever, building off their successful — yet heartbreaking — season.

"“We have a lot of guys who are stepping up to either be or become leaders. Everyone on this team knows their role going into the season which is a little different than last year.” Senior guard Ryan Harrow. Chemistry and Defense Improving as Practice Continues | Georgia State Sports"

The undeniable leaders of the team are Sun Belt Player of the Year R.J. Hunter and the former University of Kentucky transfer Ryan Harrow. The dynamic duo made for an exciting backcourt last year, averaging 36.1 points per game. Both of are looking to pick up where they left off and get the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament.

R.J. Hunter is the best prospect on the team and is one of the best scorers in the nation. Hunter averaged 18.3 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from 3-point range. With the subtraction of Manny Atkins from the team, he will be asked to score even more.

Although Hunter is one of the best in the nation when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop, he works best off screens and cuts. He thrives off of moving without the basketball, thereby instilling a lot of trust in his teammates to find him at the right time. This is where it will be key for Ryan Harrow and newly-transferred Kevin Ware to facilitate the ball to Hunter.

With the Panthers new additions to the team this year, it looks as if the point guard, shooting guard and small forward spots will be played by Ryan Harrow, Kevin Ware and RJ Hunter, respectively. However, nothing will be set in stone until we see them opening night. Assuming Ron Hunter will have junior forward Jalen Brown and USC transfer Curtis Washington fill out the other two spots for his starting five, the experience on the roster leaves reason for excitement. But that would also hurt the depth of the team.

Only seven of the 15 players for the Panthers played more than 10 minutes per game last year and two of them graduated this past year. Coach Hunter isn’t known for going deep into his bench but his hand might be pushed to play eight-to-10 guys every night.

The Panthers had problems with their schedule coming out of the gates in 2013-2014, accumulating six of their nine losses by the time they reached conference play. After the success of last year, the Panthers are scheduled to play some competitive teams yet again: Iowa State, Colorado State, Green Bay twice, Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi (who they lost to last year in overtime). The true test for the Panthers will be at the beginning of the season before they get to their conference play, but teams like UL Lafayette and Troy will also challenge them.

For the Panthers, the obvious goal this season is to reach the NCAA Tournament. If they can build off last year’s success, Ron Hunter’s squad will be in prime position to stamp their way into the big dance. Although the road will be challenging, the Panthers are up to the task.

"“This is a hungry and talented team that wants to accomplish great things this year. The returners have some unfinished business to take care of while our newcomers want to put their stamp on the program.” Head coach Ron Hunter Panthers Open Preseason Practice With Unfinished Business | Georgia State Sports"