Georgia State will travel to Dayton, Ohio to face Wright State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Nutter Center in what will be a home game for head coach Ron Hunter and a trio of Panthers.
Hunter, who grew up in Dayton and played at Chaminade-Julienne High School, will be coaching in front of family and friends, while senior Markus Crider (Dayton) and redshirt-freshman Jeff Thomas (Norwalk) also return to the Buckeye State for the first time collegiately. Redshirt-junior Jeremy Hollowell (Indianapolis, Ind.) grew up just over 45 minutes from Dayton and is also expected to have a large contingent in attendance.
Friday’s contest can be heard live on 1340 The Fan 3 and WRAS-FM 88.5 with 680 The Fan’s Brandon Leak calling the action. The game will also appear on ESPN3 with Chris Collins and Jim Brown on the call. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.
Georgia State (3-2) dropped a tough 64-57 defensive battle at UAB on Tuesday night. The Panthers got down by double digits three times, climbing within two points each time, but unfortunately not able to get over the hump as each normally solid shooting program shot just 37 percent.
The Panthers 3-2 start is tied for the best five-game start under Hunter who is now in his fifth year at the helm of the program. The Panthers are50-15 in their last 65 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2013 and have won nine-of-12 games dating back to last season.
The Panthers are led by redshirt-junior Jeremy Hollowell who is averaging 18.6 points per game, No. 2 in the Sun Belt, and senior Kevin Ware, scoring 13.4 points per contest. The duo are a part of a handful of transfers on the Panthers this year as Hollowell spent two years at Indiana, while Ware won a national championship at Louisville before making his GSU debut last year.
Thru five games, Georgia State’s defense is holding opponents to just 63.2 points per game and 40.4 percent shooting, while forcing just under 17 turnovers per game.
“This is going to be a great trip for us for a lot of reasons,” Hunter said. “First, we are ready to get back onto the court after a tough loss on Tuesday. Second, it will be fun for a few of our guys and myself to return to where we grew up. Dayton has always had a special place in my heart, but once the ball goes up, it is all about getting a win.”