Georgia State’s defense has allowed an opponent to hit at least 50 percent of its field-goal attempts 10 times this year. The Panthers are 1-9 in those games. Within that stat, opponents are having a lot of success hitting 3-pointers.
Is Georgia State’s complicated man/zone defense playing poorly? Are they playing the wrong teams at the wrong team? Are they tired? Or is just bad luck that in some games the Panthers look like they are a step slow?
Coach Ron Hunter said when it’s not working, such as in the recent 75-63 loss at William and Mary, it’s often a combination of all three.
“We are a bad matchup for certain teams and certain teams are a bad matchup for us,” he said.
In that loss to the Tribe, William and Mary shot 57.8 percent. It was the highest field-goal percentage allowed by Georgia State this season as it prepares to end four days without a game and play at James Madison on Saturday.
That poor performance against William and Mary was an example of how all three elements came together. The Tribe had won their past two games, were playing at home, and Georgia State was playing its third game in six days. Hunter said the defense, which requires a lot of movement, was a step slow on all of its switches, so William and Mary’s shooters often had open looks.
They took advantage by hitting 12 of their 18 3-point attempts. The dozen made tied for the second-most 3-pointers allowed by Georgia State this season. It was the seventh time this season a Panthers’ opponent hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game. Georgia State is 3-4 in those games.
Hunter says he will take his chances with teams shooting from long range, but opponents are hitting 37.1 percent this season, one of the best marks in the CAA.
“Our defense wants you to shoot 20-25 3s,” he said. “If you shoot that many, percentages say we are going to win most of those battles.”
Georgia State’s defense worked well in its last meeting against James Madison, a 68-52 victory in which the Dukes missed 15 of their 19 3-pointers and shot just 30.9 percent overall. The Panthers have held opponents to 35-percent shooting or less five times this year. They won all five.
But Hunter said it will be a tough matchup because James Madison is fighting to improve its standing in the CAA. They are percentage points behind Delaware for second place (Towson, currently in second, is ineligible).
“We will have to be really well prepared,” he said.
Defense
A look at Georgia State's defense in its worst games this season:
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