Honestly, if you only follow the Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team during the NCAA Tournament, you're missing the real story. Everyone remembers the R.J. Hunter shot in 2015. You know the one—the deep three that literally knocked his dad, Ron Hunter, off his stool. It’s a highlight-reel staple. But the reality of being a GSU fan in 2026 is a lot more nuanced, a bit more stressful, and surprisingly hopeful despite a rocky start to the current campaign.
Right now, the program is in a fascinating, albeit tense, transition period under Jonas Hayes.
Hayes took the job in 2022 after a legendary interim run at Xavier. He was the "hometown hero" returning to Atlanta. But college basketball doesn't care about narratives. It cares about wins. After a couple of losing seasons, the seat was getting warm. However, Athletic Director Charlie Cobb stuck by him, and the 2025-26 season has become the ultimate "prove it" year.
The Current Grind: 2025-26 Reality
The Panthers are currently sitting at 6-12 overall (3-3 in the Sun Belt) as of mid-January 2026. If you just look at the record, you might think it's a disaster. It isn't. Not exactly.
They’ve played a brutal schedule. We’re talking road trips to Cincinnati, Arizona State, and a trip to Cancun that didn't exactly go as planned. But here is the thing: this team is elite at one specific, boring, and vital thing.
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Free throw shooting.
Seriously. Georgia State is currently 9th in the entire country in free-throw efficiency, hitting at a 78.5% clip. In a league like the Sun Belt, where games are basically 40-minute bar fights, being able to close out games at the stripe is a massive tactical advantage. Jelani Hamilton, the redshirt sophomore guard, is the poster child for this. He’s currently shooting 94.4% from the line. He recently went on a streak of 21 consecutive makes.
Hamilton is the engine. He dropped 32 points on Toccoa Falls earlier in his career, but this year he’s evolved into a much more disciplined leader. He’s averaging nearly 11 points and is the guy Hayes trusts when the shot clock is winding down and the Convocation Center is shaking.
Who are these guys?
The roster is a weird, effective mix of "portal finds" and home-grown talent.
- Malachi Brown: The junior guard who basically never leaves the floor. He finished top 10 in the Sun Belt in assists last year and carries a 1.85 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's the "steady hand."
- Jakai Newton: This is the name everyone in Atlanta is watching. He was a four-star recruit who went to Indiana, got hurt, and came back home. He’s a redshirt sophomore with "Power 4" athleticism that most Sun Belt teams can't match when he's healthy.
- The Big Men: You’ve got 7-foot-1 Christian Beam and 6-foot-11 Trey Scott III. In previous years, GSU was often undersized. Not anymore.
Why the Sun Belt is a Gauntlet
People outside the South sort of look down on the Sun Belt. That’s a mistake.
The conference is a nightmare. You have to travel to places like Boone, North Carolina, to play App State in the freezing cold, then turn around and fly to Monroe, Louisiana.
Georgia State just split a series with App State—winning 70-63 on the road and then losing a 52-50 heartbreaker at home. That 52-50 game? That’s Sun Belt basketball. It’s ugly, it’s defensive, and it’s decided by one or two possessions. The Panthers also recently knocked off Marshall 81-73, proving they can score when they actually get into a rhythm.
The Lefty Driesell and Ron Hunter Ghost
You can't talk about Georgia State Panthers men's basketball without mentioning the history. This isn't a "new" program.
Lefty Driesell—the man, the myth, the legend—put this place on the map in 2001. He led them to an upset over Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. Then Ron Hunter took over and turned the program into a mid-major powerhouse, making the tournament in 2015, 2018, and 2019.
The standard here is "Tournament or Bust."
That’s why the last three years have been so frustrating for the fans. When you’re used to seeing your team on the "One Shining Moment" montage, a 14-win season feels like a failure. But Jonas Hayes is building something different. He’s leaning heavily into the "All Blue All NIL" collective to keep local Atlanta talent from leaving for the SEC or ACC.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Georgia State is still a "commuter school" team playing in a high school gym.
Wrong.
The GSU Convocation Center, which opened recently, is a legitimate, modern arena. It’s changed the recruiting game. When kids like Micah Tucker (a freshman from Overtime Elite) choose GSU over bigger names, it’s because the infrastructure finally matches the ambition.
Also, people think the team is just "run and gun." While they can score, Hayes has actually implemented a much more rugged defensive identity. They held opponents to 71 points or fewer in most of their recent Sun Belt wins. They win by grinding you down, not just outshooting you.
Looking Ahead: Can They Make a Run?
The 2026 Sun Belt Tournament in Pensacola is going to be wide open.
Because GSU is so good at the free-throw line and has veteran guards like Hamilton and Brown, they are the "team no one wants to play" in March. They might enter the tournament as an 8th or 9th seed, but they have the ceiling of a champion.
Key Factors for the Rest of 2026:
- Health of Jakai Newton: If he can give them 25 minutes of high-impact play, they are a different team.
- Home Court Advantage: They finish the season with four straight home games. They have to protect the Convocation Center.
- The Rivalry: The game against Georgia Southern on February 19th isn't just about a record. It’s about momentum. They lost the first meeting 90-67. They need that win for their psyche.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re following the Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team for the rest of the season, keep these specific metrics in mind.
- Watch the "Points in the Paint": When GSU wins, they usually outscore opponents inside or at least break even. If they rely solely on the three-ball, they struggle.
- The "Last 4 Minutes" Rule: Because they are 9th in the nation in free throws, if GSU is within 4 points with 4 minutes to go, they are a statistically great bet to cover or win.
- Attendance Matters: The energy in the new arena has been a massive factor in their upsets. Check the student turnout before assuming a home-court advantage.
The path back to the Big Dance isn't going to be a straight line. It’s going to be a jagged, stressful climb through the Sun Belt rankings. But the pieces—the coaching, the facility, and the elite shooting—are finally in place.
Keep an eye on the February 12th game at James Madison. That will be the true litmus test for whether this team is ready to make a serious run in Pensacola. If they can hang with the Dukes on the road, the rest of the Sun Belt is officially on notice.