Georgia State’s basketball schedule is complete

Georgia State’s basketball schedule for the coming season is complete and features the opener against Duke and ends with a home game against Northeastern on Feb. 27.

The Panthers aren’t eligible to compete in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, whose winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, because they are moving to the Sun Belt Conference next year.

If they hope to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, they will have to earn a high enough RPI in a schedule that features not only the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but trips to Old Dominion (Jan. 19), 2011 conference champ Drexel (Jan. 26) and George Mason (Feb. 16), three of the top four teams in the CAA last year.

The Panthers’ goal of receiving that at-large may be made more complicated by the fact that the conference schedule isn’t as hard as it could be: the Panthers don’t get a chance to host George Mason (24-9 last year) or  play at Delaware (18-14). Victories in those games might be needed to boost the Panthers’ RPI enough to be considered by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Three teams with RPIs in the 50s were at-large selections in last year’s tournament: No. 52 Virginia, No. 53 South Florida and No. 56 West Virginia. But there were teams with RPIs better than those who weren’t selected: No. 44 Marshall, No. 51 Oral Roberts and No. 54 Central Florida. (Thanks to David Teel [@DavidTeelatDP] and the Daily Press for providing that information.)

The Panthers went 22-12 last year, its first under coach Ron Hunter. The team returns one regular starter in point guard Devonta White, as well infrequent starters Rashaad Richardson and James Vincent. Hunter signed a talented and deep class, led by his son, R.J., and forward Markus Crider.

Here is the 2012-13 schedule, which is always subject to change:

Oct. 29 Mon. Life University (Exh.),  7 p.m.

Nov. 4 Sun. Albany State (Exh.) , 6 p.m.

Nov. 9 Fri. at Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Coaches vs. Cancer tournament

Nov. 13 at BYU,  TBA

Nov. 19  Tennessee State vs. South Alabama at Georgia State, 4 p.m.

Georgia State vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.

Nov. 20 Monmouth vs. South Alabama at Georgia State, 4 p.m.

Georgia State vs. Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 21 Monmouth vs. Tennessee State at Georgia State, Noon

Georgia State vs. South Alabama, 3 p.m.

Nov. 26 East Carolina, 7 p.m.

Nov. 30 Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.

Dec. 2 at Liberty, TBA

Dec. 8 Southern Poly, 2 p.m.

Dec. 15 at Troy,  TBA

Dec. 18 Southern Miss, 7 p.m.

Dec. 22 at Rhode Island, TBA

Dec. 29 at Georgia Southern, TBA

Jan. 2 Drexel, TBA

Jan. 5 James Madison,  TBA

Jan. 7  at Hofstra, TBA

Jan. 12 Delaware, TBA

Jan. 16 William & Mary, TBA

Jan. 19 at Old Dominion, TBA

Jan. 21 at Towson, TBA

Jan. 23 UNCW, TBA

Jan. 26 at Drexel,. TBA

Jan. 30 at Northeastern, TBA

Feb. 2 Old Dominion, TBA

Feb. 6 at UNCW, TBA

Feb. 9 Towson, TBA

Feb. 13 Hofstra, TBA

Feb. 16 at George Mason,  TBA

Feb. 18 at William & Mary, TBA

Feb. 23 at James Madison, TBA

Feb. 27 Northeastern, TBA

*Bold games are conference games.