Jackson Clarion Ledger: Barnes back, building beginning in Bakersfield

Interesting nuggets in this one.

Clarion Ledger.com Link

UK Coach John Calipari Plugs Men's Job

"There's a couple guys I'll probably call them, say, ‘Hey, you need to consider this, that and the other,'" Calipari said, referring to the Panthers' job, open since Rod Barnes was fired Feb. 27.


Calipari, who wouldn't identify possible candidates, said he loved the potential of the job because of its location in Atlanta ("a great city") and its membership in the Colonial Athletic Association. With teams such as George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth and UNC-Wilmington, all of whom have won in the NCAA tournament in recent history, Calipari said the potential to do likewise exists at Georgia State.

"It's kind of like when I went to UMass," he said. "They said, ‘Why did you like the job? It's the worst job in college basketball.' We're in a league with Temple. And they were No. 1 in the country and if they can be No. 1, we can be No. 1."

AJC Link

Thanks Coach Cal!

Men's Basketball: Evaluating the Roster

Imagine Buck at 220lbs and with range out to 10 feet

Photo Courtesy of GSU Sports Communications

So, we've arrived at the end of our men's basketball season and we were actually the 3rd Division 1 team from the state of Georgia still playing because we made it to Saturday.  We aren't likely to get a banner for that. 

What We Do Know:
Seniors Marques Johnson and Dante Curry have exhausted their eligibility and will move on.  The two combined for 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.  They also represented 59 3 point baskets made (Curry responsible for 53 of those).  While both players played significantly in their two year Panther careers, neither is what I'd qualify as an Impact Player.  Both struggled mightily in long stretches this season and I really thought I was dead wrong in classifying Curry as a bust prior to the season when he looked like a bonafide MVP candidate in January.  Johnson was his usual self, running the offensive sets, not scoring much and generally playing average to above average defense.

Returning Starters:
We used 15 different starting lineups this seasons adding the sometimes chaotic nature that Coach Rod Barnes was criticized for.  In 2011-12, we are slated to return 4 starters from the George Mason CAA Tournament game in James Fields, Jihad Ali, Josh Micheaux and Eric Buckner.  While each does contribute in different ways, I'd describe Micheaux and Buckner as Impact Players. 

C Eric Buckner - Was our best player from Game 1 to Game 31.  Averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.  Buck did deal with foul trouble almost every game this season and averaged 3.1 per game for the year (highest on the team).  Part of this, I believe was assimilating into the speed of Division 1 basketball vs. JUCO and part is he gained significant weight since his arrival that he had trouble adjusting (he arrived on campus around 190lbs and was playing at about 208lbs).  I look for another offseason packing on muscle and hope to see him at about 218-222 entering Fall practice.

SF Josh Micheaux - I believe he is an Impact Player based on his production as a Starter.  While he is very undersized playing as a PF, Josh played very well the last 1/3 of the year.  In 10 games as a starter, Micheaux averaged 9.5 points  (on 42% shooting), 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2 steals per game.  That's effective and the kind of stats you need from a starter.  If Josh can improve his 15-18 foot jumpshot in the offseason, I truly believe he can be a force as a Senior in 2011-12.

SF Jihad Ali - Recovered from an awful start of the season to increase his overall production and become a contributor.  Averaged 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assist per game this season.  Jihad has a shot of breaking the all time games played record if he can stay healthy.  I think he has a 50/50 shot to start as a Senior but will have to continue to improve his shooting to justify that spot.

SG James Fields - Our Bruce Bowen.  While some Panther fans don't value Boom, I do.  He is rarely out of position and you know exactly what you'll get on a nightly basis:  Good defense.  He increased his scoring this season to 5.5 points per contest and actually was our most effective ball handler with a 1.47/1 assist-to-turnover margin, which was second on the team behind Marques Johnson.  I expect Fields to increase his scoring, cross the 100 steal plateau and reach 120 games played next season.

Returning Bench Players:
PG Devonta White - The Spark Plug. Was playing at a very high level prior to an ankle injury at home vs. VCU.  He truly wasn't the same player but you could see the spark in the team's energy level when he was on the floor.  For those who have played the game of basketball, your PG is your general and when you have a great floor leader you tend to play better.  It works in every level.  Overall, White 5.2 points, 2.3 assists and was the team's 3rd best FT shooter at 68.6%.  I could absolutely see his scoring and assists numbers double in 2011-12 as he increases his strength and better understands the speed of the game.

PF Brandon McGee - Consistently inconsistent.  This was the knock on McGee coming in and he lived up to the billing.  10 double digit scoring efforts in 2010-11 topped by a 31 point explosion at home vs. Northeastern were balanced by 5 games with 0 points.  His minutes flunctuated nearly all year and Coach Barnes had an extremely quick hook if it looked like McGee was coasting.  He has the talent to be an All-CAA performer.  He has the effort that makes fans absolutely mad.  If our new coach can keep McGee motivated, I could see an improvement of his 7.7 point and 3.1 rebound per game averages.

SG Javonte Maynor - Huge growth potential.  Hidden in Maynor's decent Freshman campaign of 5.8 points (and a team leading 38.8% from 3 point range) and 1.1 rebounds per game, is the fact that he actually led our team in scoring 3 seperate times this year.  I believe he could be an outside shot to start, we provides our team with the outside range that we've lacked (and we're frankly looking for when Dante Curry arrived).  Maynor will continue to get better as moves into this offseason.

C James Vincent - The Oak Tree.  I've been tough on Big James because I've expected more from a 6'10 post player with 54 games played.  Running the numbers, when James has played more than 18 minutes in a game, he averages 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.  It's imperative that he gets these kinds of minutes in 2011-12.  I can actually see him playing along side Eric Buckner at points with the proper vision by our next coach.
SF Harold Doby - Untapped talent.  Doby had a frustrating freshman season with inconsistent minutes.  Fans wondered aloud if he got himself into Coach Barnes' dog house or if he was injured as he took 5 DNP-Coach's Decision in 2010-11.  I think Doby could increase his strength and improve his ball handling in the offseason to be a valuable bench contributor in 2011-12.

SG Rashaad Richardson - The question mark.  He was a late addition to the signing class in 2010 and arrived on campus last summer with academic questions. He did not accompany the team to the Bahamas and 5 DNP-CDs in 2010-11.  Should he be on this roster?  I'm not sure as he averaged less than 5 minutes per game in 25 games.  That's amazing to me.  Either play him and see what you have or move him on.  He is a scholarship athlete, not a walk on.  I could argue that he's the most mismanaged player in the Rod Barnes Era.  Richardson could be a candidate to move on this offseason.

Players Who Should Not Return:
PF Jamar Taylor - Taylor is not a Division 1 caliber player.  He should not be on this roster and was an absolute miss in last season's recruiting cycle.  He has to be moved on by the new coach and his scholarship needs to be given to a HS Senior or impact JUCO transfer. 

SF Jordan Demercy - From what I've been told, took a gray shirt in 2010-11 as he sat out his mandatory one year following his transfer from Florida State.  He is not an Impact Player and needs to be cut loose.  Coach Barnes and his staff were high on what Demercy could bring but new coaches are under no obligation to honor previous coaches promises.  Nothing personal but he has proven that he cannot play at a high level after being buried on the Florida State bench. 

Incoming Recruits/Scholarship Situation
Scholarships Available: 2*
Current Signee: PF Jervon Pressley - He was set to be the highest ranked recruit to step foot on campus in the Rod Barnes Era.  Except, he may not step foot on campus.  Yes, he has signed a letter of intent.  Yes, we can hold him to that.  From what I've been told, he has a ton of work to do in the classroom to have a shot to meet eligibility requirements.  If he does, great, he can be an immediate contributor in the post as an athletic rebounder and shot blocker who's offensive game is still developing.  If not*, we can use his scholarship for a player in the late signing period.

My take: I believe the 2010-11 roster was built to win 13-15 games and finish at or near .500 overall and in the CAA.  We did not meet those expectations and our coaching staff will be replaced.  I believe we have the talent on the roster to meet .500 or possibly better if we can hire a coach and a staff that will maximize the strengths of our returning players.  We could have a very large Senior class that has gone through the rigors of the best mid-major conference in America.  I believe we will make the right hire and that they will bring an exciting brand of basketball to the Sports Arena that we have not had since Charles "Lefty" Driesell retired suddenly that late December day.  With the momentum shift in our athletic department, I have high hopes for the future of our basketball program and I believe we have the resources to build a product that competes with VCU, George Mason and Old Dominion in 2011-12.  We are not Senior heavy as many of the top tier teams in our league were this season.  I do not believe that this is the reclamation project that some have said it is. 

Onward and upward!

Closing the Book on the Barnes Era

Photo Courtesy of GSU Sports Communications

Whenever a Head Coach is fired, it's not a happy time.  We don't celebrate firings  (or at least I don't).  I understand what Coach Barnes inherited and I'm glad that he was able to refocus the men's basketball program in the classroom and running a clean program.  Recruiting had been a bit of an issue and if you missed my Recruiting Hits and Misses, check it out here.

I ran some numbers to see what the Barnes Era looked like: 
-44 wins and 79 losses overall
-24-48 in CAA play (8-10 was our best year in 2008-09)
-Team PPG was 61.6 in 4 seasons.  That's one of the worst in the country over that stretch.
-Team FG% was 41.9% in 4 seasons.
-Team FT% was 63.5% in 4 seasons.  This could easily be attributed to 3 losses this season.
-Team averaged 14.1 turnovers per game.
-Team fouls per game have risen each year and capped at 21.3 this past regular season.

So I've been asked: Why now?  I truly believe it was time to move on and let the college basketball world know that we are not happy about finishing in the bottom 3rd of the CAA.  The league may be at it's strongest season with 2 NCAA bids looking like a near lock.  I believe that buying out his contract now also gives us an entire week to reach out to agents and coaches who are not currently working.

I also believe that the foundation is there for a coach to be hired and evaluate this roster which will potentially return 9 players in 2011-12.  Also, this gives the new coach time to speak with Jervon Pressley and make sure he's still on board (which I believe he is, more on this later).

We will review my thoughts on possible coaching candidates this week and what our roster could look like in October when practice begins.

Rod Barnes Fired, Will not coach in CAA Tourney

Georgia State Men's Basketball Coach Rod Barnes was fired today and will not coach the Panthers in the CAA Tournament beginning on Friday in Richmond.  Assistant Coach Paul Graham will assume the helm and will lead our team vs. UNC-Wilmington and any further should we win.

This move has received national attention on ESPN and Fox Sports.  At one point, yesterday afternoon Rod Barnes was a trending topic on Twitter.

Per our guy Ken at the AJC, we will buyout the last year of Barnes' contract which is estimated at $267,000.

What is truly amazing to me is both local and national writers who have not seen us play a single game are smashing us.  It's time to get serious about basketball again. 

SB Nation Atlanta Story

AJC Story

Ken's Blog

Examiner.com Link

Panther Notes - 2.15.11

Good Morning Panther Nation!

Wanted to empty some of my notes of the last few days.

-Football Update: Our team is going through the first day of Mat Drills on campus and the players are eager to get better.  We have a very good S&C program and the team will have 6 more days of these before continuing off season conditioning.  Spring Practice begins on March 21st and will culminate with the spring game at Georgia Dome on Thursday, April 14th.  I've also heard good things about our recruits and how they've been preparing for their arrival on our campus in the next 4 months.  See Walton HS RB Kyle Vorster below.

-Men's Basketball: I hope many of you got a chance to be in the Sport Arena on Saturday (and welcome to this space's newester writer Chris Hillyard and his write up here).  For those who say we have no tradition, you witnessed two teams of our past this weekend.  It was great to catch up with guys like Kevin Morris, Donnie Davis, DJ Wootson, Shenard Long and, of course, Coach Lefty Driesell, for whom our home court bears his name.  These were our greatest teams and, to date, our only NCAA teams. 

Yes, that's yours truly standing behind Coach Barnes along with my sister, daughter and mother

Photo Courtesy of GSU Sports Communications

-Women's Basketball: The women are starting to roll right now.  They won their 3rd in a row and new coach Sheryl Baldwin-Tener seems to really have a great feel of what buttons to press with this team.  I encourage you to take in a women's game if you never have and support this team, they are worth it.  They will return all 5 starters for the 2011-12 season and will continue to get better the rest of this season.

-Baseball: The season begins this weekend vs. Texas Southern.  Our baseball program has continued  to rise under Coach Greg Frady and is receving love from all over the place including Baseball America.  We are preseason #1 pick in the CAA and Bruce will be getting you ready for the season this week.

Panthers Fight Back To Win in OT, 74-71

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.

Recruiting Hits and Misses Under Coach Barnes

It's a strong possibility with Coach Rod Barnes entering the last few games of the season that he will not be retained as Georgia State men's basketball coach.  It's no secret that he's failed to produce one winning season here in 4 years and has lost 20 games for 3 years running.  The question on many Panther fans is why. There are 3 parts of being a successful college basketball coach: Recruiting, Player Development and Coaching Ability.

*For the sake of argument, I'm not going to include walk ons.

Today, we take a look at the recruiting under Barnes by taking a look at the hits and misses:

2007-08 Season

HS Recruits
SF Jihad Ali - HIT - Now a 4th Year Junior after taking a RS in 2009-10, Ali has seen improvement in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game each season.  He's played 85 career games and has been a solid role player.

PG D.J. Jones - MISS - After a lackluster freshman year, he was asked to leave the program and has not resurfaced in college basketball.

Division 1 Transfers
SG Dante Curry - HIT - I may get some funny looks here but his Senior Year alone makes him a hit, IMO.  He came into his Junior year out of shape and essentially was lost.  I was outspoken that he should not be on this roster if we were to expect the same conditioning and mental state as 2009-10.  He's turned it around 180 degrees and is absolutely a key reserve and the best 3 point threat on this roster.

PG Joe Dukes - HIT - The best transfer of the bunch and arguably our best since Kevin Morris at the PG position.

PF - Trey Hampton - HIT - Very solid piece and continued to get better in his 2 years on campus.

PF - Xavier Hansbro - MISS - Possibly the most frustrating player in the Barnes Era.

SF - Bernard Rimmer - MISS - Transferred with former walk on Michael Moynihan to North Georgia and played well at the Division II level.  Was definitely not a Division I player.

2008-09 Season

HS Recruits
SG James Fields - HIT - Fields has developed into a dominant defender and an above average ball handler.  He's selective in his shooting and will not be a 10+ ppg scorer at this level but does all the little things well.

Division 1 Transfers
PG Marques Johnson - MISS - 3rd team in 3 seasons and Johnson has done very little.  Barnes trusts him to run his offense but I do not.  Career averages of 3.6 points and 2.2 assists per game.  Not acceptable for a starting PG in Division 1 basketball with 37 starts and 55 career games played.

2009-10 Season
HS Recruits
C James Vincent - MISS - Truly not sure why Vincent was brought here.  After gaining a tremendous amount of weight after the season in HS, Vincent had a hairline fracture in his foot and essentially lost his entire Freshman season.  His Sophomore season has shown some promise but he does not fit the athletic run up and down mold.  2.1 points and 2.3 rebounds for a 6'10, 250lbs big man is not good.

JUCO Transfers
SG Mi'kyel Nero - MISS - Shockingly was redshirted after coming in from Brunswick CC.  Transferred following the season.  Players at the Division 1 level who do not suffer an injury should not be redshirted.  Either you can play or you can't. 

PF Jamar Taylor - MISS - Came in with Nero from Brunswick CC and continues to prove he's not a Division 1 player.  Redshirted in 2009-10 and is taking a scholarship again for 2010-11.

2010-11 Season
HS Recruits
PG Devonta White - HIT - It's obvious he can play and he's truly one of our difference maker as a freshman.  We are 4-1 with White guiding the ship and he's the best freshman PG we've had on our roster since Herman Favors.

SG - Javonte Maynor - HIT - Continues to get better and has emerged as a 10+ ppg scorer when given significant playing time.  Will continue to get better and I could see him as a 14-16 ppg scorer by the time he's a Junior.

SF - Harold Doby - INC.  - Has so far been hard to figure out.  He has the potential to be a good role player but has seen his playing time go wildly up and down this season.  Could be a candidate for a transfer if a coaching change is made as expected.

SG - Rashaad Richardson - MISS - Not sure that he belongs on this team.  Has not shot well as a freshman and unless he puts major work to his body and on his game will not succeed here.

JUCO Transfers
C Eric Buckner - HIT - Impact player.  Has gained significant weight and strength since arriving and has played very well.  Some have called him one of the best Panthers centers ever.  I believe he's top 3.

PF Brandon McGee - HIT - Is wildly inconsistent but can be a force on the boards.  Still believes that he can be a 10+ point scorer and 7+ rebound player per game.

SF Josh Micheaux - HIT - Has really come into his own since being inserted into the starting lineup.  Averaging 11.3 points, 7 rebounds, 4.3 assists in the last 3 games.  Stat stuffer when he plays significant minutes.  I believe he will continue to get better and cement his spot at the SF position.

My take: While there have been some notable misses among the Division 1 transfers, Barnes had upgraded this roster significantly in the last recruiting cycle.  6 out of the 7 newcomers have had an immediate impact at times this season.  I believe Barnes deserves another year based on the talent on this roster.  Will his recruiting mistakes plague him and contribute to his dismissal?  Only 5 regular season games and 1 CAA Tourney game until we likely find out.

Panthers Lose 6th Straight, Fall Late to ODU

Well, that was a brutal stretch as I predicted.  I didn't however see us not winning a single game.  The emotional state of the team seems okay and the players do not seem to have quit.  They led in both halves and according to Coach Barnes, they executed the game plan. 

You just can't score 48 points and win in the CAA.  This conference is too good.  The schedule lightens up considerably and it's possible to see a 3 game winning streak at Northeastern, home vs. UNC-Wilmington and on the road at Towson.

Hopefully Devonta White is back in uniform and not in sweats for Saturday's game vs. the Huskies.

Panthers Now 0-2 on VA trip

As I mentioned after the Towson win, this was going to be a brutal 6 game stretch.  The team played well in the first half and for stretches in the 2nd half.  George Mason is a better team and proved why they are still undefeated at home.

Cam Long was the Panther nemesis all afternoon and finished the game with 18 points on 8-12 shooting.  He's a very good player and he's earned the All-CAA preseason hype.

The Panthers did again shoot very well from the FT line and have bumped their season average above 57%.  Foul trouble was again an issue as the Panthers committed 24 personal fouls and turned the ball over 20 times.  This doesn't work on the road.

Eric Buckner was challenged in the post game by Coach Barnes for a complete lack of effort.  Buckner finished with 0 points, 3 rebounds in 20 minutes and only attempted 2 shots.  This is unacceptable for your best player.  I hope that Coach Barnes' public challenge will be met with a huge upswing in effort by the 6'10 Junior.

Inside NoVa Link

Next: The Panthers will stay in Virginia and take on VCU on Wednesday night.

Georgia State Tops Towson 73-65

This was a mature win.  It may sound strange but coming home and playing a team than you better than you should win, right?  It hasn't been that easy lately for the Panthers.

James 'Boom' Fields played an excellent all-around game off the bench.  6 points, 9 assists, 2 steals and only 2 turnovers.  Excellent work by the Junior out of Savannah.

Coach Rod Barnes went with a feeling to start James "Oak" Vincent and it paid instant dividends.  11 points (on 5-5 shooting) and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes.  He is proving that he can be a serviceable back up for Eric Buckner who was saddled with foul trouble all night.

Dante Curry did not shoot well and forced multiple 3 point attempts after hitting his first 2.  He finished with 12 points on 4-15 from the field.  The way he has been shooting the last few games, I can't fault Coach Barnes giving him the green light.

Examiner.com Link

Next Game: Panthers head to James Madison on Wednesday to face the Dukes.  Tip time is 7pm.

Panthers Fall 59-56 on GW 3 at UNC-W

Man, this one hurt.  We seemed to do more wrong than right and still had a great chance to win.  Panthers fall to 7-6 overall and 2-1 in CAA play.

Missing starting PG Devonta White, who has been receiving a tremendous amount of treatment on his ankle and is trying to return as soon as possible, was evident.  The Panthers managed only 9 assists vs. the Seahawks and made too many mistakes down the stretch to put UNCW away.

On the last play: Trevor DeLoach has hit a total of 22 career 3 pointers in his 2 year UNCW career.  This was his only made basket and he made it count.  As Coach Barnes said in the postgame, he would have likely preferred DeLoach take that shot than Tomko, Grant or Milson.  Credit him with a clutch shot.

Highlights:
-Dante Curry.  Plain and simple he carried the Panthers tonight. 27 points on 9-13 shooting and hitting seven 3 point baskets for the second time in 3 games.  Great game by Dante and a credit to our guys for finding him.
-Eric Buckner.  He struggled mightily but finished with a still impressive 8 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks on the night.  He is stating his claim as one of the best centers in GSU history after only 13 games.  Yes, he is that good.

Key Factors in the Loss:
-Panthers were 6-18 from the FT line.  We are currently last in the CAA in this category and approaches new depths.  This stat alone has cost us at least 2 games in the Win column this season.
-James Fields shooting misery continues.  He was 0-3 from the field and is now 1-13 from the field in CAA play scoring a total of 4 points in 3 games.  This is not acceptable a starting guard in Division 1 basketball.  I really hope 'Boom' can get it going this weekend vs. Towson.

Next game: Panthers Return Back to the Sports Arena on Saturday for a 6pm tilt vs. Towson.

Georgia State Falls 74-72 in OT

Losing hurts.  Losing to Georgia Southern hurts more. 

I've maintained for months that if you set your expectations correctly, you will not be disappointed.  Should we have beaten Georgia Southern? Probably but our teams are 8-37 on the road in the Rod Barnes Era.

I said that I would be pleased with a .500 overall record and near .500 in CAA play.  I believed that would be enough for Barnes to remain our coach and I still believe that will be the case.

So how do we get there? We currently sit at 4-5 in the non conference heading to Chattanooga next Wednesday for the Dr. Pepper Challenge which is a MTE (Multi-Team Event).  Thursday's game will likely be vs. Montreat who is an NAIA school.

I believe we should be able to split those two games and will return to Atlanta and enter conference play at 5-6.

To achieve .500 overall the team would need to go 10-8 the rest of the way.  I believe this is probable but will very difficult as we've never had better than a 8-10 CAA record.

Star News: Barnes [Still] Likes Panthers' Potential

We are 1/5 through the regular season schedule and the Panthers are 3-3.  I expected them to be a .500 overall team and they are staying true to form.  With the new additions, 3 freshman playing significant minutes and lack of a vocal leader on the floor I stil believe this team will be staring at a 15-15 final mark in March.  That would be huge progress for both Barnes (7 straight losing seasons, including his time at Ole Miss) and for our men's basketball program.

Pretty good read by Brian Mull of the Wilmington Star News.  Touches on FT shooting woes, a freshman that has suprised Barnes and Jihad Ali's shooting slump.

Star News Link

Clark Atlanta Shocks GSU 56-53 in OT

Not the way you want to ride the momentum wave from the football team.  Take a breath everyone.  Eight newcomers and Barnes played 12 players tonight and exhibition games are used to work on rotations and see what players need to be played.

Good: Eric Buckner scored 7 points and grabbed 12 boards.  That's an impressive debut.

Bad: Team Captains Marques Johnson and Jihad Ali did not shoot the ball well and combined for 18 points on 24 shots. 

Ugly: James Fields got the nod to start and was awful.  No way to sugar coat 0-6 on his FG attempts and 6 turnovers.  There is a reason why he's a bench player and defensive specialist.

Next Game: Panthers travel to McNeese State next Tuesday.  Gametime is 8pm.

Georgia State vs. Clark Atlanta - Preview & Prediction

Georgia State Men's Basketball vs. Clark Atlanta

Georgia State Sports Arena

Radio: WRAS 88.5

Off the Bounce: We get a peek at the men's basketball team tonight at home for their only exhibition vs. Clark Atlanta. 8 newcomers, 1 returning starter. Expectations are low for Coach Rod Barnes and this team. I just have a funny feeling about this team and they way the Bahamas trip helped them. I get the sense that they actually like each other and that's a huge thing in basketball.   During the Transfer Experiment/Failure of the last two seasons (team went 24-40 overall and finished 8th and 9th, respectively, in the CAA standings) it seems like guys didn't know their roles and seemed a little out of place. I'm more confident that this team will suprise some people. How big of a suprise is up to the coaching staff and the development of our newcomers.

About Clark Atlanta: This is a very good Division II team that went 24-7 last season. Just how good? They nearly pulled off a stunner at Georgia Tech last week (and got the Fire Paul Hewitt groupies going again) and bowed out in OT by 3 points. Was Tech ready for a potent two guard attack that the Panthers of CAU brought? Probably not. Coaches tend to view exhibitions as roll the ball out there and let's beat the other team by 30+. We don't have the same luxury. Clark begins and ends with their dynamic guards: 6'4, 195lbs Najee Lane and 6'4, 190lbs David Brown (who happens to be the twin brother of GSU walk on Daniel Brown and younger brother of former GSU star Marcus Brown). They combined for 44 points and hit 6 threes between them.

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG - Marques Johnson
SG - James Fields
SF - Jihad Ali
PF - Brandon McGee
C - Eric Buckner

Prediction: I fully expect Barnes to press this team and run a multiple defensive set to get the ball out of Brown's hands (he's actually the better outside shooter). Expect Brown to know what Boom (James Fields) had for breakfast, lunch and dinner because he will get a face full. Clark is not as deep as Georgia State and I expect Buckner and Vincent off the bench to pound the middle. I expect a 70-54 win by the Panthers of Georgia State.

AJC: Coach Rod Barnes Q&A

Oh yeah, Basketball Season is Here: More good work by our guy Ken at the AJC: AJC Link

Who are two teams that will compete for the national championship?
Barnes: I think Duke is one team and I think Michigan State.

Complete this sentence. College basketball would be a better game if…
Barnes: I think maybe if the season were shorter (in terms of games). I think our season is so long now that I think even some of the best teams run out of gas.

Who's the most improved player on your team?
Barnes: Jihad Ali. Last year he had some games where he scored over 20 a game and I think this year he will have the opportunity to be our leading scorer. I think he would be the guy who would be the surprise, the guy that'll be talked about.

What's a fair criticism of you?
Barnes: A fair criticism is I'm a coach who probably puts more time in and works more time on his defense and sometimes his offense struggles.

What's the best book you've read recently?
Barnes: I would say probably a book I read called "The Rules of Engagement -- The Eight Principles of Leadership."

Evaluating GSU's Graduation Success Rate

Graduating Student Athletes.  It's something that every coach and Athletic Director wants.

The NCAA uses its own measure, the Graduation Success Rate (GSR), which accounts for students who transfer into an institution or who transfer out in good academic standing and is therefore higher than the federal rate.

**Also keep in mind that these numbers are for those student-athletes who entered school in 2000 and would have graduated in 2003.

So how do Georgia State's sports match up from this time frame?  See below (the higher number the better).

Overall in 2010: 72 (up 3 from 2009)

Individual Sports:
Women's Golf - 100
Volleyball - 100
Women's Track - 93 (up 13 from 2009)
Men's Tennis - 90 (first non-100 since 1998 which basically means 1 player didn't graduate)
Men's Track & Field - 89 (same as 2009)
Women's Basketball - 86 (down 7 from 2009)
Softball - 85 (up 5 from 2009)
Women's Soccer - 80 (up 9 from 2009)
Women's Tennis - 71 (down 7 from 2009) 
Men's Soccer - 61 (up 3 from 2009)
Baseball - 46 (down 6 from 2009)
Men's Golf - 38 (down 12 from 2009)
Men's Basketball - 36 (up 3 from 2009)

NCAA GSR Link

My take: It should be no shock that our men's basketball team is the worst on the list.  They rarely graduated under Coach Driesell and Coach Perry.  Coach Barnes has done a phenomenal job as he's graduated every player that exhausted his eligibility from 2007-Present.

Monday Quick Hitters - 10.25.10

Happy Monday to the Panther Nation!  As disappointing as the ODU game was this weekend, it could have been much worse and our team did a tremendous job fighting back.  Lessons are learned and we experienced our first loss on the road.

On to the Links!

Reaction after the ODU loss: CT does a tremendous job grabbing the reaction from both local teams and their publications.  GSU Sports Link

Bragging on Drew: It's easy to do after a 400+ yard passing day but take a look at his stats compared to other FCS QBs:

His 141.2 passer rating would rank him 15th
His 1630 yards passing would rank him 16th
His 14 TD passes would rank him in a tie for 12th.

Full FCS Stats are available via The Sports Network.  Check their link here.

Men's Basketball Begin Practice & Coach Rod Barnes believes in his young team: We will talk plenty about the men's team but here the AJC's preview.  AJC Link

One Question Series: Coach Rod Barnes

It's a simple premise really, over the next four days, I'm granting you an opportunity to speak to various important figures in our athletic department and asking them what really on your mind. In a magical room of truth, what is the one question you'd ask? 

Today's Guest is Coach Rod Barnes. His career record is 33-61 (18-33 in CAA play) at GSU and he's in the 4th year of a 5 year deal.



What's your question?