Kane Williams, Eliel Nsoseme, Corey Allen, Justin Roberts

Men's Basketball 3/12/2022 10:00:00 AM

Linked 4 Life

A picture says 1,000 words, and these four individuals: Eliel Nsoseme, Justin Roberts, Corey Allen, and Kane Williams it shows four different back grounds, four different initial colleges/head coaches, four different paths, three different degrees, and four student-athletes, that believed in their ability to come together for a championship season that will forever have them linked for life.

Rewind back to April of 2019, and Coach Lanier is giving his introductory press conference, doing his best impression of Nostradamus to predict the future as the Panther faithful soaked up every word and listened in the University Club in now Center Parc Stadium. He referenced that Georgia State is in a great conference, a recent history of winning, and that four things were necessary to win the Lanier way:

Every day after the introductory press conference was to be about the players
There was going to be a standard, and the standard was going to be high
There will be a way of doing things that's different (not better)
The young men that buy in will be our (Georgia State University's) players

Coach has delivered on each of those, and many more he did not talk about publicly that day. The foundation for this championship was laid in April of 2019, and when Eliel, Justin, Corey, and Kane decided they wanted to run it back after last years Sun Belt Championship loss, add in the leadership of these four and the rest of the team, they never wavered from the initial vision set out by Rob Lanier.

The excitement around the program at the beginning of the 2021-22 was never higher, preseason accolades were flooding in as the team to beat in the Sun Belt Conference, and a team that could make some noise with the challenging non-conference schedule that lay ahead. Then the season started…

…and it did not start out as planned. Everything went downhill quickly with an injury to the heart and soul of the team, Eliel. An injury would have him sidelined until Sun Belt Conference play in January, mix in some COVID-19 cancellations that plagued programs all around the country, and a team that just couldn't seem to get the right people on the floor at the same time to build the chemistry needed to win.

This type of adversity would crumble most teams, but Lanier never stopped believing in his team, and especially in these four players to be able to overcome these challenges. Instilling in them that it's about selflessness, accountability, and leadership. All of that culminated in Pensacola, Fla., resulting in a Sun Belt Championship and winning 10-straight games making Georgia State one of the hottest teams entering the NCAA Tournament.

Coach also referenced he wanted more in that introductory press conference, and this team has the ability to do just that. Georgia State will find out their destination and opponent this Sunday during the NCAA Selection Show. Only 68 teams get to compete in this tournament, and this is what March Madness is all about!

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Players Mentioned

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

Eliel Nsoseme: F; 6' 9"; Junior

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

Eliel Nsoseme
: 6' 9"; Junior
: F

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

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