Photo courtesy of Paul Abell/Abell Images Yesterday, I attended my first Georgia State Mens Basketball game. The Panthers fought back from a large deficit once again but this time were able to pull out the win in overtime over Northeastern 74-71. I have a few observations that I have pooled together here:
-Brandon McGee had the best game of his career. He put the team on his back yesterday and carried them. His 31 points were the most for any Panther in a decade and his 13 rebounds gave him his third double-double of the year. One of the best collegiate performances I have ever seen in person.
- Eric Buckner was absent for most of the second half in this game. He had no fouls called on him in regulation, but for whatever reason was not on the court for the majority of the half. He came out strong scoring 6 points very quickly. If we could ever get him into a rhythm and playing well at the same time as McGee, we would have one of the better frontcourts in the CAA.
- I enjoyed the game atmosphere. The officially listed attendance was 1140, which made it one of our bigger crowds of the year. The student section was absent for most of the game. There was a large group of what I think were fraternities and sororities up in the upper sections that were good about doing cheers and being active in the game, but half of them left at halftime.
- Count me in as a fan of the Sports Arena. Is it outdated and ill suited for basketball? Sure. But I personally enjoyed the setup. I would like to see more baseline bleachers, but ultimately I think minor changes can be made to the arena to make it a better venue. The most important thing in creating a better atmosphere is just getting people in the seats, and that's not going to happen with a team 3 or 4 games below .500.
- Why does it happen every game that GSU is so slow out of the gates and has to claw its way back? I think this is a reflection on poor game preparation by Coach Barnes. It is just too coincidental to think this just keeps happening. Coach Barnes is great at making adjustments during the game. Northeastern changed their defensive scheme to a zone about halfway through the first half and it was very effective. But he made the necessary adjustments and we were able to come back before the half. It's just ridiculous that this continues to keep happening.
-Winning 2 out of the last 4 games and at least one win in the conference tournament would probably save Barnes' job. Signature wins in conference against JMU and VCU and a great showing at two regular season tournaments are accomplishments and signs the program is moving forward, but at what pace? Will be interesting to see how these last few weeks play out.
About the Author
Chris Hillyard is a senior at Georgia State University set to graduate in August 2011 with a degree in History. He has experience writing sports blogs and was the play-by-play announcer for Duluth High School Basketball for three years. His current occupation is with the Atlanta Braves as part of the gameday staff, but hopes to one day be a History teacher and high school basketball coach.
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