Georgia State enters the CAA Championships in Harrisonburg, Va., on Thursday at noon. The Panthers (15-14) will face #8 seed Northeastern in the opening game. Listen live on WRAS-FM (88.5) or purchase the video stream on CAASports.com.

Quick Facts About Georgia State's 2009-10 Season and why it enters with some positive thoughts:

• Lost three starters (three of top four scorers), with Danyiell McKeller expected to return for tournament, and are 15-14
> A top 25 scorer in the country, Danyiell McKeller, suffered a hamstring injury Feb. 21 and missed final four games
> Starting center Chan Harris (22-11 double-double in opener, 11.0 season average) suffered broken foot, 6 Games Played
> All-CAA rookie guard Jylisa Williams (10.3 last year and 20 and 15-point games in Jan.) dismissed from team, 11 GP
> Won two of final three regular season games despite not having McKeller in line-up and gained confidence as a team

• Georgia State proves the time-tested theory, you always have a chance to win with good defense, despite missing key players
> Lead the CAA in fewest points (55.6, No. 24 in the NCAA)
> Lead the CAA in steals (311, 10.7, No. 23 in the NCAA)
> Have held 19 opponents to 60 points or fewer
> Hold opponents to 37.7% from the field (No. 77 NCAA) and 30.4% outside the arc

• If the axiom of it takes a good point guard to win tournament games is true, Georgia State has a good one.
> Sophomore Crystal Johnson has led the CAA in assists two straight years and ranked in the NCAA Top 25 both years.
Her CAA average (5.8) is above her overall season average (5.4) in assists. Leads the CAA in Assist-Turnovers (+68)

• Georgia State has been able to win on the road (6-7 away from home), as well as home (9-7).

• The Panthers have played most of the CAA season down-to-the-wire.
> Georgia State has won games by 2, 3 and 4 points, but dropped games by 2, 3, 4, 4, (3-4 in four-point or less games)
> Ten (10) CAA games have been 5 points or fewer with a minute to play.
> In CAA play, 16 of the 18 played were decided by 10 or fewer points.

• An experienced team finds ways to win tournament games.
> The Panthers have three senior leaders (McKeller, Rawls, Graham) who lead team in major categories. They are joined
by a JUCO All-American who played on a Sweet 16 team last year (Burtts) and two-year starting PG Johnson.
> They average 16 turnovers a game (top 75 fewest in nation)

• GSU has an experienced coach, Lea Henry, with 303 career wins and three NCAA tournament teams and a WNIT team.
> Henry played on three Final Four teams and Asst. Coach Bridgette Gordon is a Final Four M.O.P. and won 2 NCAA titles.

TEAM NOTES

The senior trio of Shay Rawls, Brittany Graham and Danyiell McKeller lead the way. The Panthers are getting 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds from McKeller, along with 65 steals. Rawls leads the squad in rebounding (7.9, No. 5 CAA) now that she is back as a starter and has moved into the top 10 rebounding list in school history with her 778.

Graham provides the outside fireworks with 46 treys at a .368 rate (No. 4 CAA). Graham has made 46 of her 125 treys with three games of four or more this year. Newcomer Angelique Burtts has been a big help with her 10.4 ppg.,131 rebounds, 80 assists, 54 steals, 15 blocks.

Sophomore Crystal Johnson, who led the CAA last year in assists, is back on top again with her current 5.4 average (No. 24 NCAA). Johnson is also No. 1 in the CAA in the assist turnover ratio (+68) and No. 34 in the NCAA.

Junior Traci Haltiwanger adds experience off the bench and has 67 career three-point baskets (18 this year) to provide more outside punch. .

Eight of the 15 wins have been by 14 or more points with their season scoring margin sitting at a +3.8 on the year

Georgia State is No. 145 of the 345 schools in the Mar. 8 in the Sagarin RPI rankings and No. 162 in the NCAA RPI.

The 15 wins already surpass last year's final total for the season (12).

The Panthers were 15-15 in 2006-07, their most since joining the CAA. This year marks a second straight where the Panthers have lost two or more starters.

CHALLENGING SCHEDULE

Of the 345 Divsion I schools, this year the Panthers losses have come to Florida State (12 Sagarin/15 CBN), Ga. Tech (33/34), James Madison twice (41), ODU twice (57), VCU twice (99), Delaware (102), Hofstra (118), Towson (122), NU twice (151)
and Mason (214). The better wins have come over Drexel (100), Towson (122), Iona (161), UNCW (172), W&M (177). All 12 schools in the CAA are in the Top 215 in the ratings (top 65%/two-thirds).

THE CAA (No. 8 of the 32 Division I Conferences)

The CAA certainly has to be one of the most entertaining and exciting women's conferences in the NCAA.

The teams are good (No. 8 of the 32 RPI), the individuals are great (national leaders), and the competition is dramatic (26 games decided by final score of four or fewer points or go into OT).

Record in CAA games of 4 points of final score:

• Drexel (8) 5-3
• ODU (7) 6-1
• Georgia State (7) 3-4
• Delaware (7) 2-5
• VCU (4) 2-2
• James Madison (3) 1-2
• William & Mary (3) 0-3
• UNCW (4) 2-2
• Towson (3) 2-1
• Hofstra (2) 1-1
• George Mason (2) 1-1
• Northeastern (2) 1-

• Elena Delle Donne's 54-point game vs. JMU is the best in the country this year
• Dawn Evans 9 three-point baskets vs. GSU are the most in the country this year
• The league has three of the top 7 scorers in the country. Elena Delle Donne is No. 1 (26.9), Dawn Evans is No. 4 (25.5) and Gabriela Marginean is No. 7 (22.9).
• In addition to Delle Donne's 54 and 39-point games, Marginean lit up the scoreboard for 41 points and Evans twice poured in 38 points (one at Top 25 UVA).
• Northeastern's Brittany Wilson had a 34-point, 21-board game to be one of just three in the country to do so this year.
• CAA players have produced 24 games with 30 or more points individually (by 9 different players)
• GSU had two players each produce a triple-double game (Angelique Burtts and Crystal Johnson)
• Evans is No. 1 in the nation in three-point percentage and she is one of just two in the country to make more than 100
• Crystal Johnson has been in the Top 25 all-year in assists (No. 25 this week) to rank in the Top 20 two years running.
• Marginean and Tesia Harris of Delaware are tied for the best 3-point percentage in a game this year with 6-of-6.
• Big Jess Fuller of Hofstra is No. 11 in the country in blocks
• 3 CAA players were picked as 30 Finalists for the Naismith trophy. The Big 12 has 5, the Big 10, Big East and SEC have four, and only the CAA has 3. That means 20 of the 30 best players come from these top 5 leagues.

Right to the Point:

Sophomore point guard Crystal Johnson has played four games (three this year) with no turnover games. She's had 10 games at a +5 in assists to turnovers this year. For her two years, Johnson has had 15 games at +5 or better. She is No. 24 in assists and No. 43 in assist-turnover ratio in the NCAA.

In two years, she has 322 assists and just 205 turnovers, for a +116 total.

Her top assist-to-turnover ratio is a pair of +10 games. She had 11 assists and 1 turnover against William & Mary (2-7) and also had the same 11-1 ratio last year vs. Northeastern.

Johnson's top ratio with no turnovers is +8 with her 8 assists and no turnvers vs .James Madison this year on Jan. 7.

It Takes a Thief:

The Panthers are No. 23 in the nation this year with 10.7 steals per game and average 20.1 turnovers forced per game with 18 games with double-digit steals.

Last year, the Panthers ranked No. 10 in the nation in steals (11.8 per game), also with 18 games with double-digit steals.

The defense includes three players who have 50 or more steals this year, while all 5 starters have 30 or more. That includes Johnson's 72, McKeller's 65, and Burtts' 54. Shay Rawls and Brittany Graham also have 30+ steals with 34 and 31 this year.

The most steals in a game this season were 17 versus UNCW and VCU, 16 against Troy, with 14 against Nicholls State and George Mason, as well as 13 versus Towson, Presbyterian College and UT Martin, plus 12 each from Kennesaw State and Iona.

Georgia State's Tournament Bracket:

The winner of the Georgia State-Northeastern game on Thursday will face No. 1 seed Old Dominion on Friday, also at Noon.

Georgia State lost two photo-finishes to ODU this year (one with the winning basket with .6 left in the game and one with 21 seconds left).

This bracket moves on to a Noon game on Saturday in the semifinals as well, with the Championship game on Sunday at 12:30.

Tickets:

A session (two games, either afternoon or evening) sells for $10 adults and $8 youth. A complete Tournament Book for all 11 games is $35.

TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK (CLICK HERE)