GETTING INSIDE

   A year ago, Georgia State lost 20 games, many of them tough to swallow. The Panthers lost their opener to Bowling Green in overtime by a point. They lost in overtime to Jacksonville State and lost in overtime at Towson.

   Things were supposed to be better this year. Late in the 2008-09 season, the Panthers began to play their best ball, and it was supposed to carry over into this season.

   The getting-to-know-you phase between coach and players and between the great number of transfers coach Rod Barnes had brought in was over. The season started well, with the Panthers winning more than they were losing, even scoring a victory in the conference opener.

   Then they played a winless Florida A&M team and lost.

   “A very disappointing game,” Barnes said. “I don’t want to take anything away from Florida A&M, but we weren’t very good today.”

   His job then became getting back to the good things that had transpired before that upset, to make sure Joe Dukes, Trae Goldston and Xavier Hansbro continued to lead the team down the right path, for Georgia State had seemed to discover the right formula.

   Barnes had his team playing defense as well as anyone, ranking second in the conference allowing only 56.7 points a game while leading the conference in allowing only 37.4 field-goal shooting by its opponents.

NOTES, QUOTES

   —Senior G Joe Dukes set a career high with 26 points against the University of South Alabama, and F Xavier Hansbro had a career-high 21 points against Utah Valley, setting a school record by going to the free-throw line 17 times in the game.

   —Georgia State has hit a three-point shot in 427 consecutive games, dating back to Feb. 18, 1995.

   —Getting a double-double is hard enough, but senior F Ousman Krubally did it the hard way, coming off the bench to score 10 points and grab 11 rebounds against James Madison.

   KEY CONFERENCE GAME: Towson, Jan. 2—Georgia State looks like it is one of the most improved teams in the conference, and it already has a conference victory under its belt, beating a pretty good James Madison team on the road and holding it to 44 points. On Jan. 2, the Panthers return to conference play against a Towson team that also seems to be on the rise in the CAA. If coach Rod Barnes is to get his club off to a good start and build confidence, winning at home will crucial, as the next two conference games are in Atlanta.

   LAST YEAR’S CONFERENCE RECORD: 8-10, eighth place in CAA.

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “I think our team is playing better every week. Our defense is really carrying us, but our offense is improving. We’re getting good looks and guys are taking good shots, but we just haven’t quite found that comfort level yet to get a rhythm on the offensive end. But we’re getting better.”—Coach Rod Barnes.       

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   WHAT WE LEARNED IN NOVEMBER: The name of the game is going to be defense for Georgia State. Through the early going, the Panthers led the CAA in field-goal percentage defense, allowing just 37.4-percent shooting entering December, and had allowed only 23.3-percent shooting from three-point range, second in the conference. They also were second in scoring defense at 56.7 points a game and second in steals.

   DECEMBER AT A GLANCE: Coach Rod Barnes’ Panthers close out December with a Dec. 15 game at Florida State, then head home for games against Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern before diving head first into conference play. Barnes will use the two home games to work on a defense that seems capable of carrying the team through the Colonial season.

   PLAYER ROTATION: Usual starters—G Joe Dukes, G Trae Goldston, F Jihad Ali, F Xavier Hansbro, F Trey Hampton. Key reserves—F Ousman Krubally, F Kevin Lott, G Dante Curry, G James Fields, G Marques Johnson.

   ROSTER REPORT:

   —Coach Rod Barnes landed three early signees: 6-6 F Harold Doby of Augusta, Ga.; 6-1 G Javonte Maynor from Snellville, Ga.; and 5-11 G DeVonta White of Roswell, Ga.

   —Coach Rod Barnes has pushed academics. All four seniors who finished their careers under Barnes graduated, while this year’s six seniors are on schedule to earn their degrees in the coming year.

   —This won’t sit well with Rush Limbaugh, but four of Georgia State’s players come at you from the left, being left-handed shooters. They are Trae Goldston, Trey Hampton, Ousman Krubally and Jihad Ali.