ATLANTA--Georgia State begins a grueling road stretch with three games in three days at the Glenn Wilkes Classic, Friday through Sunday at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Panthers open against Drake on Friday at 1:15 p.m., and then face Howard Saturday at 11 a.m. and IUPUI Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
All three games can be heard live on WRAS-FM 88.5. Click here for the link to live videostreaming (subscription required).
The Panthers, who will play five straight road games before returning home Nov. 30, are coming off a 77-53 victory over Carver Bible College in Tuesday's home opener. Trae Goldston led GSU with 17 points. Georgia State opened the Glenn Wilkes Classic last week with a 69-53 loss at NC State.
Now in his third season at Georgia State, head coach Rod Barnes has a veteran team that features six seniors--five of them in the starting lineup--headlined by all-conference guard Joe Dukes.
"We have a tough stretch ahead of us with so many games away from home," said Barnes. "We think our depth is one of our strengths, and it will definitely be tested with three games in three days, against three good teams. We will really know a lot more about our team after this weekend."
Dukes, the 6-1 senior from Cuthbert, Ga., is a preseason selection to the All-Colonial Athletic Association second team after earning third-team honors a year ago. The versatile guard led the Panthers in scoring (12.8) ppg, assists (4.3 apg) and steals (1.7 spg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg). He has gotten off to a slow start in the scoring column, averaging 7.0 points through two games, but he also contributes 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
Dukes is joined in the backcourt by 6-0 senior Trae Goldston of Decatur, Ga., who is the Panthers' leading scorer through two games at 11.0 ppg. He is also GSU's top three-point threat.
Both Dukes and Goldston can play either guard position, as can top backups Marques Johnson and James Fields, giving Barnes considerable flexibility. Johnson, the junior transfer from NC State, averages 2.0 points, while Fields, a 6-3 sophomore, is coming off a career-high 11 points versus Carver. He averages 7.0 ppg and 2.5 rpg.
Sophomore Jihad Ali, coming off a redshirt year, and junior Dante Curry (6.9 ppg in 2008-09) can add scoring punch on the wing.
Up front, 6-10 senior Xavier Hansbro is off to a strong start, averaging 10.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg. Trey Hampton, a 6-7 senior, adds 6.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and a team leading 2.0 blocked shot a game.
Kevin Lott, a versatile 6-7 senior, rounds out the starting five. He averages 7.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg.
The top frontcourt player off the bench is 6-6 senior Ousman Krubally, who provides a spark for the Panthers with his hustle and hard-nosed play. He opened the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds against NC State.
Promising freshman post player James Vincent, 6-10, should continue to earn more minutes as he rounds into shape after a preseason foot injury limited his practice.
SERIES RECORDS
Georgia State has never previously played any of its three opponents in the Glenn Wilkes Classic.
Head coach Rod Barnes has previously faced IUPUI while the head coach at Ole Miss, which defeated the Jaguars, 77-70, on Dec. 21, 2001 in El Paso, Texas.
ROAD WARRIORS
Georgia State's trip to the Glenn Wilkes Classic begins a grueling road stretch that will see the Panthers playing five games in seven days, all away from home. After these three games in Daytona Beach, Fla., GSU travels next week to the South Alabama Thanksgiving Tournament, Nov. 25-26 in Mobile, Ala.
The Panthers host Jacksonville on Nov. 30, and then face three more road games at James Madison, Florida A&M and then Florida State.
Just two of Georgia State's first 11 games are at home, but the tide turns in mid-December when the Panthers play four straight and five out of six at the GSU Sports Arena.
POSITIVES IN SEASON OPENING LOSS AT NC STATE
Georgia State opened its season with a 69-53 loss at NC State, but the final 16-point margin is deceiving. After trailing by just three points at the half, the Panthers tied the score at 37-all on a basket by Joe Dukes with 13:44 to play, and theN Xavier Hansbro missed a three-pointer that would have give GSU its first lead. Still, the Panthers were within four points at 45-41 with 10 minutes left. But the Wolfpack scored seven straight points to take a 52-41 lead, and the Panthers could get no closer. Georgia State actually made more field goals than the Wolfpack (22-to-20), the teams were an identical 3-for-16 from three-point range, and the rebounding was nearly even (39-to-37 NCS), but NC State went to the free throw line 35 times to just 12 trips for the Panthers.
OOSS IS LOOSE
The story for Georgia State in its season opener was the play of Ousman Krubally off the bench. The slender, 6-6 senior recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Many of his points come off offensive rebounds because nearly half of his career rebounds are on on the offensive glass.
Krubally went 6-for-11 from the field, actually below his career field goal percentage of 59 percent. He connected on 66 percent from the field last season.
A crowd favorite because of his hustle and hard-nosed play, Krubally will continue to provide a spark off the bench.
X ON THE SPOT
Xavier Hansbro, the Panthers' 6-10 senior forward, appeared to be Georgia State's most improved player in preseason drills, and he validated that assessment with his performance in the season opener at NC State. The Trezevant, Tenn., native scored 13 points against the Wolfpack while notching career highs with nine rebounds and four assists. He hit a three-pointer with 40 seconds left in the first half that brought the Panthers within three points at the intermission.
Hansbro's performance in the opener followed a 25-point effort in GSU's exhibition victory over Shorter.
Hansbro, who began his college career at Ole Miss, where he played his freshman season under GSU head coach Rod Barnes, averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 2008-09, his first season with the Panthers after transferring.
DUKES TABBED TO PRESEASON ALL-CAA TEAM
Senior guard Joe Dukes was selected to the preseason all-Colonial Athletic Association second team, selected by media, head coaches and sports information directors and announced at the league's annual media day.
Last season, the 6-1 native of Cuthbert, Ga., made an immediate impact in his first season with the Panthers after transferring from Wake Forest and earned third-team all-CAA honors. He ranked in the Top 15 in the league in scoring (12.8 ppg, 14th), assists (4.3 apg, 5th), steals (1.7 spg, 5th) and FG% (8th, .439). He was also the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.7 per game.
THREE EARLY SIGNEES
Georgia State has signed three players in the November early signing period. All three are from the state of Georgia, including Atlanta-area guards DeVonta White and Javonte Maynor and Augusta forward Harold Doby.
Harold Doby F, 6-6, Augusta, Ga., Oldsmar Christian (Fla.)
Javonte Maynor G, 6-1, Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett HS
DeVonta White G, 5-11, Roswell, Ga., Centennial HS
