Troy University’s men’s basketball team will travel to Atlanta to face Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference matchup on Wednesday. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as the Troy Sports Media Network.
The Trojans, with a record of 15-8 overall and 8-3 in conference play, are coming off their first set of consecutive Sun Belt losses in over a year. They were defeated by James Madison last Thursday and App State on Saturday. In the most recent game, Theo Seng was the only Troy player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points. Seng has scored at least 10 points in three of his last four games, including tying his career high with 24 points against Old Dominion on January 21.
Georgia State enters the contest with a 9-14 overall record and a 6-5 mark in conference games. The Panthers lost both games during their recent road trip, falling to Louisiana and South Alabama. At home, however, Georgia State has performed well this season with a 6-2 record.
Troy leads the all-time series against Georgia State, holding a 30-24 advantage. This will be the teams’ 55th meeting since their first matchup during the 1951–52 season.
“Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 118-95 record during his time at Troy. Over the last four seasons, Troy has won 20-plus games every year, which includes 10-plus Sun Belt wins each season.”
Victor Valdes is currently third in the Sun Belt Conference for both free throws made (115) and attempted (153). Last year’s Division I program record for free throws made was set at 142 by Myles Rigsby.
Thomas Dowd ranks among national leaders in rebounding statistics. He stands seventh nationally in total rebounds (238) and eleventh in rebounds per game (10.3).
Georgia State’s top scorer this season is Jelani Hamilton, who averages 18.6 points per game. The Panthers lead the Sun Belt in free throw percentage at 79.3% and average just over twenty-one attempts per contest.
Additional notes include Austin Cross making his first career start against James Madison; Kerrington Kiel entering Troy’s starting lineup for the fifth time this season; and Cooper Campbell leading the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.75—also ranking second in assists per game within the conference.
Victor Valdes and Thomas Dowd have been key contributors for Troy this season with averages of 16.0 and 14.9 points per game respectively; Dowd also leads the Sun Belt with his rebounding numbers while Theo Seng is third among Trojan scorers at thirteen points per game.
Following Wednesday’s matchup at Georgia State, Troy will return home to host Akron on Saturday, February 7th—a game that will air nationally on ESPN2.
