Stock falling: Georgia State's hopes for an at-large bid

Georgia State certainly wouldn't have been a lock to contend for for an at-large NCAA tournament bid had it upset Iowa State on Monday night, but the Panthers have virtually no chance now after sustaining an 81-58 loss. The reason is that the matchup with the Cyclones represented Georgia State's lone chance to notch a victory that would resonate with the selection committee. The toughest games remaining on the Panthers' schedule are against Colorado State and Green Bay, both qualify teams but neither good enough that a win could earn Georgia State at-large consideration. Instead the Panthers will probably have to win the Sun Belt tournament, a goal that proved elusive last season when they went 17-1 in league play but lost to Louisiana-Lafayette in the tournament title game. Many believe Georgia State can be a threat in March in spite of its one-sided loss Monday night because of its potent backcourt highlighted by NBA prospect R.J. Hunter and transfers Ryan Harrow and Kevin Ware. Ice-cold 15 of 48 shooting from all three guards contributed to Monday's loss. As a result, Georgia State's path to the NCAA tournament became a little more difficult.

They could play again and it's possible Ga State would win. When you're at a size disadvantage at the inside positions, and you're off in your outside shooting, you're going to lose. But by the same token, if Ga State shoots like they're capable of shooting they could have probably won the game. That's what makes basketball such a fun game. A David can sometimes win against a Goliath if they're hitting their three point shots. That's the great thing about the three point shots. It gives the little guys a chance. In football, normally a big time team is going to clobber a team from a lesser conference. In basketball, there are occasionally upsets. It's just tough being in a one bid league. There is no room for error. Arkansas could possibly finish third or fourth, or maybe even fifth, and still receive a bid to the NCAA. In the SBC, you have to win the conference tournament, and only one team can do that. It's just tough.