The Boys Are Back! Panthers Host Appalachian State Thursday

ATLANTA-Returning home and at full strength for arguably the first time this season, the Georgia State men's basketball team will host Appalachian State on Thursday at 7 p.m., at the GSU Sports Arena.

Including last Saturday's scheduled game at Troy, Georgia State (6-7, 0-2 Sun Belt) has had four of its first six Sun Belt Conference games cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols this season. However, the Panthers have also used the time off to get healthy including the return of Eliel Nsoseme to the starting line-up last week as the heart of league play gets going.

The Panthers have been dominant in Sun Belt Conference play since returning for the 2013-14 season. Since that time, the Panthers have a won a league-best 98 regular season games, earned three regular season titles, a division title, and three runner-up finishes. Georgia State took its lone home game with Appalachian State (10-9, 4-2 Sun Belt) last season, but the Mountaineers took both games in Boone, N.C., and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game in Pensacola, Fla.

Senior Corey Allen leads the Panthers averaging 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game with a team-high 31 3-pointers while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. The All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team member is also second on the team with assists and third in steals.

Senior Kane Williams, who enters the game just four points shy of moving into fifth place on GSU's all-time scoring list, became the all-time wins leader in program history last month. With two more made free throws, Williams can also become the career leader in that category in program history. He is averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Senior Justin Roberts is adding 12.9 points per game and shooting 76.5 percent from the free throw line, while shooting 44.5 percent from the floor. Roberts needs just two more points for 1,000 for his career after playing his first season at DePaul.

Roberts and Allen are both now within 150 points of becoming the 24^th and 25^th 1,000-point career scorers in GSU program history.

Center Jalen Thomas is adding 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while his 3.10 offensive rebounds per contest is ranked No. 48 in the country. Senior Eliel Nsoseme is averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in per game in his two contests back so far.

Broadcast Information

Radio: WRAS-FM 88.5; PbP: Dave Cohen, Color: Rodney Turner
Television: ESPN+; PbP: Dave Cohen, Color: Rodney Turner

Game Notes
• Georgia State and Appalachian State will be meeting for the first of two games this season and the 17th time overall.
• GSU has won 98 regular season Sun Belt games since the start of the 2013-14 season, the most in the league, while finishing in the top two of the final regular season conference standings six times in eight seasons.
• Georgia State has a 47-18 (.723) record in the month of January since the start of the 2013-14 season.
• Head coach Rob Lanier is closing in on 100 wins for his career (99). He also spent four years as the head coach at Siena.
Covid and Injury Craziness
• For just the second time this year, Georgia State could have all three All-Sun Belt Preseason honorees Corey Allen (1st Team), Kane Williams (Second Team) and Eliel Nsoseme (Second Team) in the starting line-up.
• # of Players who have started all 13 games (1): Kane Williams
• # of Players who have played in all 13 games (2): Kane Williams and Evan Johnson
• # of Players have started 12 of 13 games (2): Kane Williams and Jalen Thomas
• # of Players who have had to start: 10
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• GSU earned the top spot in the annual Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll as selected by the coaches.
• With the win on Dec. 6, senior Kane Williams became the all-time wins leader in GSU program history moving ahead of Ryann Green and Chris Clerkley. He now has been a part of 89 wins in four-plus seasons.
• Kane Williams broke Terrence Brandon's school record of 531 career free throw attempts last year and now has 608. He is second all-time with 446 made free throws, trailing only R.J. Hunter's school record of 448.
• Williams is current in 6th on GSU's all-time scoring list with 1,389 career points. He is currently four points behind Devonta White for fifth and is 430 points behind R.J. Hunter's school record of 1,819.
• Corey Allen has 1,766 career points scored which is among the top 30 career active scorers in the country. He has scored 915 of those points at GSU.
• Senior Justin Roberts now has 998 career points including 869 in a Panther uniform. He and Allen are looking to become the 24th and 25th 1,000-point scorers in program history.
• The Panthers tied a school-record with 21 steals in the win over Brewton-Parker on opening night. Georgia State also allowed just 10 first half points, a school record and tied for the fewest in the NCAA this year.
• Georgia State is ranked 13th in the country is turnovers forced (17.77) and ninth in turnover margin at +5.5. The Panthers also rank No. 24 with 9.2 steals per game.
• The Panthers also rank No. 18 in the nation in fewest fouls (159) and 12th in fewest fouls (208).
• Junior Jalen Thomas is ranked No. 48 in the country averaging 3.10 offensive rebounds per contest.
• Georgia State has won 56-straight games dating back to 1999 when scoring 90 or more points.
• Georgia State is under the leadership of third-year head coach Rob Lanier. His first two-season .648 winning percentage (35-19 record) is the best of any GSU head coach in their first two years leading the program.
• Since 2013-14, GSU has won more games (175) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.

Following the game on Thursday, Georgia State will remain at home to host Coastal Carolina on Saturday at 2 p.m., as the second game of a doubleheader with women's basketball. The game will air live on ESPN+ and the GSU Mobile App.

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