ATLANTA-- Georgia State heads to Cincinnati, Ohio to face the No. 25 Bearcats for game two of the season on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

The Panthers opened the season on the road at Eastern Michigan for the SBC-MAC Challenge on Monday, Nov. 3. The Panthers fell 71-49. 

Redshirt junior Jelani Hamilton earned 2025-26 Preseason All-Sun Belt honors after coming to Georgia State for the 2024-25 season and making an immediate impact. Returning home, Hamilton played in all 33 games and led the team with 38 total steals. He finished the 2024-25 season averaging 10.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg. 

The Panthers return six from the previous season, including impact starters in Jelani Hamilton and Malachi Brown, and welcome nine newcomers (7 transfers, 2 freshmen) to the squad. 

The Panthers started the season with two exhibition games, and went 1-1 going into regular season play. Georgia State hosted the CareSource Invitational against Georgia before heading down the road to Morehouse. 

SERIES NOTES: Georgia State and Cincinnati are meeting for the second time in program history, and the first time during the regular season. Last time out, the Panthers fell 68-53 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS: Cincinnati is 1-0 on the season after defeating Western Carolina 94-63 at home in the season-opener. 

During preseason action, the Bearcats went 1-1 in exhibition play. Cincinnati defeated Michigan 100-98 on the road before falling 89-61 to Arkansas on the road. 

KEY RETURNERS: In a reload off-season for the Panthers' basketball team, head coach Jonas Hayes retained six members of the 2024-25 squad, including Jelani Hamilton, Malachi Brown, Clash Peters, Trey Scott III, Emmanuel Koveos and Kwame Tanic.

The Panthers return two key guards in Jelani Hamilton and Malachi Brown who both appeared in all 33 games for Georgia State last season.

Hamilton leads the Panthers with 13 points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist. A Marietta, Ga., native, Hamilton started 21 games for the Panthers last year and averaged 10.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 53 assists. The redshirt sophomore led the team with 38 total steals and posted Georgia State's highest scoring mark of the season when he scored 32 against Taccoa Falls.

For the second consecutive year, Brown leads the Panthers in assists with four. The Buford, Ga., native started 31 of the 33 games last season and put up 7.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 3.4 apg, leading the team in total assists (111) and second in total steals (37). The junior finished fourth in the Sun Belt with a 1.85 assist/turnover ratio and 10th in the conference for total assists and assists per-game.

Brown posted a career-high in scoring during Sun Belt action against ULM when he scored 19 points, one of 12 double-digit scoring games from last year.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Head Coach Jonas Hayes and his staff have reloaded the GSU roster with the addition of seven transfers and two freshmen.

Junior Anthony Enoh leads the Panthers in rebounding with eight so far this season. His eight rebounds rank fourth in the Sun Belt for total rebounds.  He is third in the Sun Belt in steals with three. 

Enoh averaged 11.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 1.4 apg during his sophomore season at Jessup.

The transfer squad brings a mix of experience and youth including Jakai Newton (redshirt sophomore, Indiana), James Cooper (graduate, Oregon), Joah Chappelle (sophomore, Pearl River), Isaiah Sherrard (junior, Moorpark), Anthony Enoh (junior, Jessup), Ayouba Berthe (senior, Minot State) and Christian Beam (sophomore, Southern Union State).

Sophomore Joah Chappelle is third on the Panthers' leaderboard with 6.0 ppg, and ranks second in rebounding with seven.He averaged 16.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 3.1 apg on his way to the MACCC's Freshman of the Year award along with being named First Team All-MACCC. Chappelle scored in double figures in 26 out of 30 games and had 20 or more in eight games and recorded six double-doubles.

Junior Isaiah Sherrard is second on the Panthers' leaderboard with 7.0 ppg with three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.  He was named WSC North Player of the Year along with being on the WSC North All-Conference First Team. Sherrard averaged 15.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg to go along with 1 spg and 1.5 bpg. The junior recorded 50.0/36.1/74.6 shooting splits in his time at Moorpark.

Sophomore Christian Beam is second in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounds after notching four against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 3).  Beam earned All-conference honors last season,having made Second-Team All-ACCC during his year at Southern Union State. Beam, a 7-footer, averaged 8.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg highlighted by a 15/20/14 game against Gadsden State.

Jakai Newton brings Power 4 experience, having spent two years at Indiana, where he saw action in four games before suffering a lower body injury. Coming out of high school, Newton was ranked as the 86th-best prospect by 247Sports

Graduate James Cooper transfers in from Oregon where he appeared in 28 games during his four years there.

Ayouba Berthe played his junior year at Minot State and averaged 13.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 1.7 apg.

The Panthers return to Atlanta to host Presbyterian for the home-opener on Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m.