SPORTS
November 15, 2022
WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS
Men’s Golf in full swing Panthers featuring squad made of a majority of underclassmen ADEBANJI BAMIDELE Staff Reporter
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PHOTO BY: JUSTIN SATLOFF | GETTY IMAGES)
The Hawks have more than just a dynamic duo Not just a big two, but a big five! SKYLER HILL Staff Reporter
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o say the Atlanta Hawks are back to 2021 Eastern Conference Finals form would be a stretch, but it wouldn’t be that elastic if you catch the Hawks’ drift. Ever since that magical playoff run that began in Madison Square Garden, the Hawks have been disappointing. To be fair, they surpassed what the team and fans expected out of them. To be honest, that team did what most thought they needed a couple more years for. They were ahead of their time. The map hadn’t fully rendered, but somehow they had reached a conclusion that saw them face the final boss in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Nonetheless, this year is different. The seamless transition Dejounte Murray has made in his new role in Atlanta has fit in better than anybody would have thought. There was much speculation on whether it would work with him and Trae Young, well it’s marvelously worked out. Murray is averaging 22.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 8.4 apg. His stats are all pretty similar to what he averaged in San Antonio, with a few improvements on the defensive end. In Atlanta, Murray’s defensive stats have increased as he’s now averaging 2.5 steals per game and 0.7 blocks per game. Young is doing what fans expect. He’s averaging almost the same numbers as he did last year: 28.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 9.4 apg. What’s understood doesn’t have to be explained with Young. It’s apparent the backcourt will rank amongst the highest in the league, but is a “big two” enough to win a championship? Well, a championship is a hefty promise. Ask Lebron when he went down to Miami to join the Heat. Forget the promises, fans have to realize the
Hawks don’t just have a “dynamic duo.” The Hawks have a big five. The backcourt is the backcourt, but think about the other three guys running the floor. The Hawks’ frontcourt consists of De’Andre Hunter, John Collins and Clint Capela. Hunter and Collins both possess above-average athletic abilities and provide key pieces to the team. Look back to the season opener a couple of weeks ago against the Houston Rockets. Young, Murray, Hunter and Collins all had 20-plus points in a victory over the Rockets. It almost happened again in the following game against the Magic when Young, Murray and Collins repeated those same scoring totals. On the season Hunter is averaging 14.4 ppg and 4.0 rpg. Right behind him is Collins averaging 12.9 ppg and a whopping 9.0 rpg. Going one more down the list and you get Capela averaging 9.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg. The team has players who can make plays and set their teammates up. The defense is impeccable. Yes, it’s the beginning of the season so it’s important not to overreact, but the Hawks are the fourth-ranked defense in the league and it’s no anomaly. Last year, the team finished sixteenth in the league in overall defensive ratings and struggled to stop elite guards on the perimeter. This team is built to play both sides of the ball and that has been at the forefront of their hot start to the season. The Hawks are currently sixth in points per game with an overall ppg of 116.5. They’re eleventh in overall apg with 25.8 per game and rank eighth in the league in steals per game with 8.1. Once Bogdan Bogdanovic comes back, there’s no telling the heights the Hawks might soar to!
he Georgia State Men’s Golf team has swung deep into their 2022 season schedule. The Panthers are back in action after falling to rival Georgia Southern in the semifinal of last season’s Sun Belt Championship tournament. Entering his sixth year, head coach Chad Wilson will have to navigate the course with a squad featuring only two upperclassmen with a large portion of the team consisting of freshmen. The first stop on that course would be the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in Scottsdale, Arizona. Maui Jim Intercollegiate Freshman Hunter Smith led the pack on day one as he shot (-2) for a total score of 68, placing him at 29th in the competition. Connor MacMillan shot (-1) and was not far behind Smith with a score of 69. “I am happy with the way we played today for our first round of the year,” Wilson said. “Super proud of our two freshmen; if we clean up some bad tee ball mistakes, we should be able to pass a few teams the next two days.” At the end of the first day, the Panthers totaled 282 points, causing them to finish 17th out of the 18 teams. Day two was full of improvements as four Panthers finished under par. Macmillan (-2), Mason Dean (-2), Smith (-1) and Jordan Jung (-1) propelled the Panthers into 15th place, tying Georgia State with UCLA headed into the final day. Georgia State concluded the event with a final round of 285, which was enough to secure 15th place ahead of UNLV and NC State. Smith was the highest-placing Panther, finishing 38th, shooting two under par. Up next was the J.T. Poston Invitational at Western Carolina. J.T. Poston Invitational The Panthers had a rough start, shooting (+9), but did have a few bright spots. Jung shot (+1) on day one of the competition but followed it up with his career low in the second round, shooting (-6). His teammates picked up the slack, launching Georgia State into seventh place in a two-day span. “We had a very disappointing opening round, but the guys fought back and had the lowest second round team score,” Wilson said. Jung’s club stayed hot, finishing (+1) as he placed ninth overall on the final day. Smith and MacMillan finished within the top 50, shooting (+7) and (+10), respectively. The Panthers then headed home to host the Georgia State Invitational.
Georgia State Invitational This matchup featured a career-low from another Panther in junior Jake Kephart. Kephart shot 76 on day one and followed it up in the second round with a career-best 67 to sit comfortably in eighth place. Jung had a solid two days, finishing (+1) at the end of day two to end the event in 15th place. The team combined for a 583 overall score, which was good enough for fourth place overall. “Pleased with having the lowest second round score that allowed us to get back in a position to win the event,” Wilson said. “Ultimately, the mistakes on the greens have really cost us, but hopefully, we can clean that up for 18 holes tomorrow.” Kephart shot a final round 74 to finish eighth, and Georgia State finished fifth in the overall competition. “Disappointing day for the group as we weren’t able to play a solid round and get ourselves in contention,” Wilson said. “Still a lot of positives to take away from this week, and we are excited for our next event this weekend.” This particular event was the Bank of Tennesse Intercollegiate hosted by Eastern Tennesse University. Bank of Tennesse Intercollegiate The course was unrelenting on the Panthers. Every golfer on the team finished above par for the first time all season. Jung led the squad once again, shooting 73, 76 and 72 across three rounds, landing him (+5) and 50th overall. Georgia State shot (+29) in the competition to finish last in 15th place. In an effort to forget, the Panthers moved on to the Pinetree Invitational at Kennesaw State University. Pinetree Invitational In a very much improved outing, Georgia State had four players place within the top 50 after day two. Smith once again led the pack, shooting (+4) after two days, finding himself in 19th place. Jung wasn’t far behind in 23rd for shooting (+5), Kephart and MacMillan tied for 31st shooting (+6). The Panthers were in eighth place and aiming for an even higher finish. Day three saw a turnaround, with Smith shooting (+6) overall and 12th in the competition. MacMillan (+8) and Jung (+9) finished 15th and 20th, respectively. The Panthers don’t see another competition until Feb. 2023 at the Wexford Intercollegiate in South Carolina.