Georgia State hoops conference schedule released

Jan. 5 vs. Texas State

Jan. 8 at Louisiana-Lafayette

Jan. 10 vs. Troy

Jan. 15 vs. Texas-San Antonio

Jan. 17 at Appalachian State

Jan. 19 at Arkansas State

Jan. 24 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Jan. 29 at Texas-San Antonio

Jan. 31 vs. Arkansas State

Feb. 5 at Georgia Southern

Feb. 7 at South Alabama

Feb. 14 at Texas State

Feb. 19 vs. South Alabama

Feb. 21 vs. Appalachian State

Feb. 26 at Arkansas-Little Rock

Feb. 28 at Troy

March 5 at Louisiana-Monroe

March 7 vs. Georgia Southern

The Georgia State men’s basketball team will begin defense of its Sun Belt Conference title against Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 30.

The Sun Belt released the conference schedules for its men’s and women’s teams Thursday. Times haven’t been released, but all of the men’s and women’s games will be doubleheaders.

The men’s team went 25-9 overall, 17-1 in their first season in the Sun Belt last season. The team, coached by Ron Hunter, returns several key starters in leading scorer R.J. Hunter, second-leading scorer Ryan Harrow, starting center Curtis Washington and sixth-man Markus Crider. The women’s team was 12-19 overall last season, 8-10 in the conference.

The men’s team added Louisville transfer Kevin Ware and signees Jeff Thomas and Jordan Session in the offseason. The squad lost senior starters Devonta White and forward Manny Atkins from last season’s team.

The game against the Warhawks is the first of three consecutive home games, and five of the first six, for the men’s and women’s teams. Arkansas-Little Rock will come to the GSU Sports Arena on Jan. 3, followed by Texas State on Jan. 5. Four of the first five home games will be played before spring semester starts.

The Panthers’ first road game will be at Louisiana-Lafayette, which knocked them out of the finals of the conference tournament, on Jan. 8. The Cajuns arguably are Georgia State’s biggest challengers to the regular-season title. Louisiana-Lafayette will play at Georgia State on Jan. 24.

The Panthers will play at Georgia Southern on Feb. 5 and will host the Eagles in the regular-season finale March 7, which also will be Senior Day. Three of the team’s final six games are at home, while it will have only two home games in a stretch of eight during the middle of the season.