Georgia State wasn’t picked to finish among the elite in the Sun Belt Conference. So far, the Panthers has confounded the skeptics and bring a five-game winning streak into the opening week of league play.
Georgia State, in its first season under coach Rob Lanier, has played well under the new regime. The Panthers had single-digit losses to Duke and Georgetown, beat Charlotte and Dartmouth in overtime, and won the 2K Empire Classic in Riverside, Calif.
The Panthers (6-3) host Texas-Arlington at 7 p.m. Thursday to open Sun Belt play. The two teams have met in the final of the Sun Belt tournament the past two seasons, with the Panthers winning both times.
The Panthers are led by Corey Allen, a junior transfer from Detroit who averages 17.1 points. He scored his 1,000th career point against Mercer. Allen has three 20-point games, including 28 against Dartmouth, and is shooting 39.7 percent on 3-pointers, fourth-best in the conference.
Three other players average double-figures: Kane Williams, a junior from South Paulding, averages 13.8 points; senior Damon Wilson averages 11.4 points and a team-high five rebounds; Justin Roberts, a sophomore transfer from DePaul, averages 11.2 points.
Georgia State hasn’t played since Dec. 7, a 73-61 win at Mercer. Texas-Arlington (4-7) has lost three consecutive games, most recently to Houston on Dec. 11.
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