Panthers Open Regular Season with Brewton-Parker Wednesday

Rob Lanier will make his GSU debut on Wednesday night.

ATLANTA-The two-time defending Sun Belt Conference champion Georgia State men's basketball team will open the 2019-20 regular season hosting Brewton-Parker on Wednesday night in the GSU Sports Arena at 7 p.m.

Led by new head coach Rob Lanier, the Panthers begin a 31-game slate that could lead them back for an unprecedented third-straight and fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six seasons.

Wednesday's contest can be heard live on WRAS-FM 88.5 with Dave Cohen, now in his 37^th year as the Voice of the Panthers, being joined by former Panther Lamont McIntosh calling the action. The game will also air live on ESPN+ with Sam Crenshaw and Rodney Turner calling the action. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.

Lanier spent the previous four seasons as the associate head coach at Tennessee where he helped guide the Volunteers to a No. 1 national ranking last season, including a win over the No. 1 team in the nation Gonzaga. He joined the program in April bringing in an experienced staff as well as some highly-touted newcomers to a program that lost four seniors and one junior following the 2018-19 season.

Georgia State is coming off a 101-66 exhibition win over Point last Friday night. Senior Damon Wilson led the Panthers with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while redshirt-junior Corey Allen scored a team-high 20 points while dishing out five assists.

All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team member Kane Williams, who also earned Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament recognition last year, finished with seven points, four rebounds, and four steals in the exhibition opener.

Allen is one of two transfers, along with redshirt-sophomore Justin Roberts, expected to make an immediate impact this year. Both transfers sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules but were in the starting line-up against the Skyhawks.

Lanier also welcomes freshmen big men Joe Jones III and Jalen Thomas to the Panthers. Jones earned BioSteel All-Canadian honors last year, while Thomas was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Michigan per 247Sports.

Notes:

The Panthers have won 11-straight home openers in the GSU Sports Arena and six-straight regular season openers dating back to a loss at Duke to open the 2012-13 season.
Georgia State and Brewton-Parker will be meeting for the first time on Wednesday night.
Since returning to the Sun Belt Conference for the 2013-14 season, Georgia State has finished in the top two in the Sun Belt standings five times in six years.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Panthers have won 134 games, the most of any NCAA Division 1 program in the state of Georgia.

Season tickets are still available for the 2019-20 season. GSU will play 15 regular season home contests this winter at the GSU Sports Arena. Season tickets can be purchased by calling 404-413-4020 or by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/Tix.

Following Wednesday night's game, Georgia State will start a stretch of five-straight games away from home on Saturday at College of Charleston. Tip is set for 2 p.m. and can be seen live on FloHoops.

Quick Notes:
•   Georgia State made its second-straight and third NCAA Tournament in the last five years in 2019 and returns a pair of starters from the 2018-19 squad.
•   After earning the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Regular Season title for the first time since 2015, the Panthers earned a third conference tournament title in five years.
•   Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular season conference standings five times in six seasons.
•   During that same time frame, Georgia State has won more games (134) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.
•   Georgia State has won 11-straight home openers and six-straight regular season openers entering Wednesday night.
•   Despite the close proximity of the two schools (2.5 hours), this will mark the first time that Georgia State and Brewton-Parker meet on the basketball court.
•   The Panthers opened the season with a 101-66 exhibition win over Point last Friday night. Senior Damon Wilson led the Panthers with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Corey Allen scored a team-high 20 points.
•   Georgia State is under the leadership of new head coach Rob Lanier who took over the program in April. He previously served as the Associate Head Coach at Tennessee.
•   Coach Lanier spent four seasons as the head coach at Siena from 2002-05 leading the squad to both an NCAA Tournament and NIT appearance.
•   Junior Kane Williams was selected to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team last Friday. He finished last year earning Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament recognition.
•   Williams is one of just nine active juniors in the country to have won conference tournament in each of their first two years and appeared in NCAA Tournament games.
•   After redshirting last year per NCAA transfer rules, Corey Allen and Justin Roberts make their debuts for the Panthers. Allen was the 2016-17 Horizon League Freshman of the Year while at Detroit, while Roberts comes to GSU following one season at DePaul.
•   Georgia State welcomes five newcomers to the team this year. Freshman Joe Jones III, Jalen Thomas, and Kalik Brooks will all see action this year, while transfers Jojo Toppin (Georgia) and Eliel Nsoseme (Cincinnati) will redshirt this year due to NCAA transfer rules.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#21 Kalik Brooks: G; 6' 5"; Freshman

#23 Joe Jones III: C; 6' 9"; Freshman

Eliel Nsoseme: F; 6' 9"; Junior

#2 Justin Roberts: G; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#25 Jalen Thomas: F; 6' 10"; Freshman

#12 Kane Williams: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#1 Damon Wilson: G; 6' 5"; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#21 Kalik Brooks
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: G

#23 Joe Jones III
: 6' 9"; Freshman
: C

Eliel Nsoseme
: 6' 9"; Junior
: F

#2 Justin Roberts
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#25 Jalen Thomas
: 6' 10"; Freshman
: F

#12 Kane Williams
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#1 Damon Wilson
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Senior
: G