Quote:ATLANTA-The Atlanta Tipoff Club has announced that Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter has been named the Georgia Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year, while Panther senior Eric Buckner has been named the Georgia Men's College Player of the Year.

Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Georgia Selection Committee, the pair will be recognized along with other award winners at the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Naismith Awards Banquet presented by AT&T and Newell Rubbermaid on March 22 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.

Hunter, who is in just his first season at Georgia State, has led the Panthers to one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the country and their second most successful season in program history. Georgia State has won 22 games already this year and will enter the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Saturday at Mercer.

"I am truly humbled to receive this honor," commented Hunter. "The Atlanta Tipoff Club does a lot of great things for the game of basketball and the community. When I received the call that I was selected, it brought me great joy. However, it was the dedication of our players buying into our system that allows me to receive this great award.

"As happy as I was to earn the college coach award, hearing that Eric Buckner would earn the top player in the state made me even happier. Eric has worked so hard this year and he truly propelled our team to great things. In my 18 years as a head coach, I do not think I have ever had a player with great defensive skills like Eric. He is truly deserving of this award."

The Panthers have become one of the top defensive teams in the country, having already improved by 10 wins since last year and finishing sixth in the CAA, their highest finish since joining the league in 2005. Defensively, the Panthers are ranked in the top 15 in the country in scoring defense, field goal defense, blocked shots and steals.

Earlier this year, GSU won a school-record 11 straight games which was among the top five in the country at the time. The Panthers opened the season 10-0 at home and have won 13 games in the Sports Arena, second most in program history.

Buckner has been one of the big reasons for the Panthers turnaround, becoming one of the top shot blockers in the country. He has already been named to the All-CAA Third Team this year and was recently named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 10 Second Team.

The 6-10 senior dominated the paint for Georgia State this season, blocking a school record 112 shots and standing among the top five in the NCAA with a 3.4 blocked shots per game average. His blocked shots total currently ranks sixth in a season in CAA history.

Averaging 10.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, Buckner also leads the CAA in field goal percentage, shooting 62.6 percent from the floor.

Buckner opened the season earning all-tournament honors at the World Vision Classic and earned CAA Player of the Week recognition on Dec. 5.

In just his second season, he set the Panthers career blocked shots record and currently has 161 entering the Panthers Saturday game against Mercer.

For more information on the banquet or the awards, please visit http://www.naismithawards.com.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.

The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.

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