GSU looks to improve its defense

Feb 22, 2013

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:

Date	Opponent	FG% (min. of 40%)	Current FG%	Result	Note
11/9/2012	at Duke	51.1	47.2	L, 74-55	Season opener
11/13/2012	at BYU	51.7	46	L, 80-62	Longest road trip of year
11/21/2012	vs. South Alabama	45.9	41.5	W, 75-73	Third game in three days
11/30/2012	vs. Louisiana Tech	54.2	41.1	L, 86-68	First game since Nov. 26
12/2/2012	at Liberty	43.8	42.5	W, 67-66	First game since La. Tech
12/15/2012	at Troy	42.6	40.2	L, 57-56	First game in a week
12/18/2012	vs. Southern Miss	50	48.3	L, 69-67	First game since Dec. 15
12/22/2012	at Rhode Island	44.7	39.9	L, 65-60	First game in four days
12/29/2012	at Georgia Southern	40.4	43.1	L, 68-64	First game in a week
1/2/2013	vs. Drexel	53.1	41.6	L, 77-60	First game since Dec. 29
1/7/2013	at Hofstra	45.7	37.9	L, 52-50	Second game in three days
1/12/2013	vs. Delaware	51.9	42.4	L, 86-83	First game since Jan. 7
1/23/2013	vs. UNCW	42	41.1	W, 81-63	Second game in three days
1/26/2013	at Drexel	45.5	41.6	L, 68-57	Third game in six days
1/30/2013	at Northeastern	53.1	45	W, 78-73	First game since Jan. 26
2/6/2013	at UNCW	52.9	41.1	L, 76-72	First game since Feb. 2
2/9/2013	vs. Towson	56.4	43.6	L, 90-82	Third game in a week
2/16/2013	at George Mason	42.6	43.9	W, 78-60	Second game in less than a week
2/18/2013	at William and Mary	57.8	46.3	L, 75-63	Third game in five days