What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State will continue the Cancun Challenge on Friday night facing Purdue at 7 p.m. at Mackey Arena.
* The game will air live on the Big Ten Network and can also be heard on 1340 The Fan 3 and WRAS-FM 88.5.
* Senior Jeremy Hollowell leads the Panthers averaging 21.5 points per game, scoring 20 or more in each of the first two games.
ATLANTA-Georgia State will continue play in the Cancun Challenge on Friday night at No. 15 Purdue at 7 p.m. from Mackey Arena. The Panthers will be looking to match the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated in program history.
Friday’s contest can be heard live on 1340 The Fan with 680 The Fan’s Brandon Leak calling the action. The game will also air on the Big Ten Network with Wayne Randazzo and Shon Morris calling the action. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.
Georgia State (1-1) has split its first two games to open the season, scoring a 42-point win over Thomas before falling at Auburn 83-65 on Monday night to open the Cancun Challenge. Senior Jeremy Hollowell, an All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team member, has led the Panthers in those two games averaging 21.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
This game will serve as a homecoming for Hollowell who hails from Indianapolis and played at Lawrence Central High School. The senior spent his first two seasons playing for Indiana before transferring to Georgia State prior to the start of the 2014-15 season.
No. 15 Purdue (1-1) opened the season with a 44-point win over McNeese State before losing by three to No. 3 Villanova on Monday night. It was Purdue’s first loss in November since 2012. The Boilermakers are led by Caleb Swanigan who is averaging 21.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the first two games.
This will mark just the ninth time in school history that Georgia State plays a school from the current Big Ten. Despite a 1-7 record in those games, the one win was arguably one of the biggest in program history, a 50-49 victory over No. 25 Wisconsin the first round of the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Georgia State will also have the opportunity to equal a mark set in 2001 when the Panthers knocked off No. 15 Saint Joseph’s in Charlotte, N.C. The 15th-ranked team is the highest-ranked opponent Georgia State has ever defeated and one of four wins over top 25 teams. The last victory over a top 25 ranked team came in the 2015 NCAA tournament with a 57-56 victory over No. 16 Baylor.
“After a disappointing result on Monday night, our guys are excited about the opportunity to play a high-level opponent like Purdue,” head coach Ron Hunter said. “We have had a very good week of practice. This is a senior-laden team who will not allow the team to get too high after a win or too low after a loss.”
Georgia State has gone 104-62 in head coach Ron Hunter’s five-plus seasons. Hunter is just three wins shy of tying former head coach Bob Reinhart’s school record of 107 wins after the opening night win. Before coming to Georgia State, he spent 17 seasons at IUPUI and left as their all-time winningest coach.
Senior Willie Clayton, who picked up his 18th career double-double in the season opener, is averaging 8.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his first season with the Panthers after three seasons at Charlotte. He is one of three transfer newcomers to the team this season, joining Justin Seymour (Murray State) and Devin Mitchell (Alabama).
Seymour scored a career-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting with three 3-pointers against Auburn on Monday. Mitchell scored a career-high eight points in the season opener against Thomas.
Notes:
· Freshman D’Marcus Simonds enters Georgia State as arguably the highest-rated freshman in the history of the program. He was rated as high as No. 72 in the ESPN100 last year. He scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the opener.
· Georgia State blocked 13 shots in the opener against Thomas, just one shy of the school record of 14 set against FIU on 12/1/11.
· The Panthers’ 42-point margin of victory against Thomas was the sixth-most in school history.
Georgia State was selected to finish third in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, but did pick up one first place vote. The Panthers were ranked behind UT Arlington and defending champion Little Rock.
Following Friday night’s game, Georgia State will travel to Mexico on Sunday to continue the Cancun Challenge. The Panthers will face NJIT on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. on YouTube Live. Georgia State will conclude the tournament on Wednesday facing Eastern Kentucky or Idaho State.
Quick Notes:
• Georgia State will face a Big Ten opponent for just the ninth time in school history and the first since 2008.
• Georgia State has one win all-time over the Big Ten, a 50-49 victory over No. 25 Wisconsin in the 2001 NCAA tournament.
• The highest ranked opponent GSU has ever defeated is No. 15 St. Joseph’s in 2001, equalling Purdue’s ranking entering tonight’s contest.
• The Cancun Challenge will mark the fifth time in six years under Ron Hunter the Panthers play in a non-conference tournament.
• Georgia State is 7-9 in tournament action under Ron Hunter following Monday night’s 83-65 loss at Auburn.
• Senior Jeremy Hollowell (All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team) has scored 20 or more points in each of the first two games, something he did last year as well.
• Senior Justin Seymour scored a career-high 20 points at Auburn on Monday night, going 8-of-16 from the floor with three 3-pointers.
• Senior Willie Clayton recorded a double-double in the season opener, the 18th of his career. He recorded 17 of them at Charlotte.
• The Panthers blocked 13 shots in the opener against Thomas, just one shy of the school record of 14 set against FIU on 12/1/11.
• Three transfers were added to the line-up this season...Willie Clayton (Charlotte), Devin Mitchell (Alabama) and Justin Seymour (Murray State).
• Georgia State was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll behind UT Arlington and defending champion Little Rock.
• Head coach Ron Hunter now has 104 wins at GSU, just three wins shy of the school’s all-time record of 107.
• Georgia State is 64-28 (.696) since Dec. 14, 2013.
