SSU to host No. 5 Georgetown in Hunter's home opener as head coach

Essentially every individual remembers the memory, and holds tight to, the opportunity of taking the court, pitch, or field for their first time competing in front of their home crowd.

That will certainly be no different for Shawnee State first-year head coach Michael Hunter.

Tuesday's contest already marks a special occasion for the Bears -- as Shawnee State's 2023-24 men's basketball home opener against Georgetown, located just over 110 miles to the west of Portsmouth, will mark the first time since the late 2000s that neither team has faced one another as a conference foe.

For Hunter, however, it's an opportunity to debut another strong brand of basketball for the Bears, who have traditionally given Georgetown, especially over the past decade, top run whenever they've played either under Jeff Hamilton or DeLano Thomas.

That type of effort will again be needed Tuesday as Shawnee State plays host to the No. 5-ranked Tigers, who are out to a 6-0 start, at 7 p.m. in Waller Gymnasium.

"We should check on the guy that did the scheduling," Hunter cracked. "We're just trying to get some tough contests to try to get better as we move along. These are games that we want to play and look to play, because if we want to make a run at all, we've got to be prepared to face these same types of teams, and if we make a run there, we'll probably see a Bethel or a Georgetown down the road in the national tournament."

Reviewing start of season

After dropping its season opener by just three points (61-58) to Simmons College of Kentucky in shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, Shawnee State showed exceptional improvement offensively in just a week's time -- putting a major scare into (RV) Bethel, Ind. by knocking down 31 of its 64 shots at a 48.4 percent clip while scoring 44 of its 78 points in the paint in a scant 82-78 setback to the 4-1 Pilots.

Defensively, Shawnee State has proven to be rock solid to start the year -- as the Bears held Simmons to a match of its lowest offensive point total through the Falcons' first five games and, this past Saturday, held Bethel to a shooting percentage of 43.3 percent -- 10 percent lower than what the Pilots entered Saturday's contest with. Drew Lutz, who came into the nonconference affair averaging exactly 29 points per contest, was held to 19 by the Shawnee State defense.

"From Game 1 to Game 2, I told the guys that I was definitely proud of the coaching that they accepted," Hunter said. "We didn't have a scrimmage prior to the first game, so that was really our first chance at playing somebody else and getting to see what we looked like as a team. That was a toss-up. We needed to do a lot better shooting-wise against Simmons, but defensively, we held them to 61 points. Then, in Game 2, our offense came along in a better manner. We're not into moral victories though, and we've still got to grow, do a lot more coaching, and a lot more in terms of accepting coaching."

Previewing Georgetown

It will take a similar type of effort to slow down the Tigers, who have proven, time and time again, to be a thorn in the side of their opposition.

In their 6-0 start to the 2023-24 season, Georgetown has eclipsed the 100-point mark twice and has held its opposition to 70 or less points in each of the six contests to start the year behind a balanced attack where nine players have scored between 6.7 to 13.3 points per contest, including Rashad Bishop (13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 68.6 percent shooting), Marshall transfer Cam Brooks-Harris (12.3 points), and Kyran Jones (9.5 points, 8.8 rebounds).

"Georgetown will be a track meet, honestly," Hunter said. "They have length and athletic players, so it will be a similar test as to this past Saturday. We just have to be prepared for what's going to be thrown at us. We have a good gameplan in place, but we've got to carry it out the whole game. I don't think that we did that on Saturday, but we'll be looking forward to doing that Tuesday."

However, Shawnee State's lineup isn't something to slouch on, by any means.

Through two official games, Keith Germain is averaging 23.5 points and eight rebounds per game on 53.8 percent shooting after the senior followed up his 23-point, four-rebound debut against Simmons with a 24-point, 12-board effort against Bethel. Tyreke Johnson showcased his own smooth form with a 24-point, eight-board effort against the Pilots, and John Dawson himself notched a 16-point, four-assist outing against Bethel while canning four of his seven shots from long distance.

J.R. Lumsden, Tre Beard, Elkin Ramirez, Damon Charles, Tony Webb, Jr., AJ Belton, Feisal Crumby, Jr. and Donn'Yae Ferguson round out a versatile lineup.

"Keith is a unique situation," Hunter said when asked about Germain. "A few years back, I was a junior college coach, and Keith started out with me (at Lakeland). He came with me to (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods), and said, 'Coach, you aren't leaving me here by myself.' He wanted to come to Shawnee State, so it's rare to spend time with a player for five years at three different schools. Keith's been great. He's come a long way from his freshman year, when I had him. He's just a tough cover at this point, and is one of the top players not only in the conference, but in the country, as well. I believe he will keep doing what he is doing. We just have to want it more. It's going to be a tough, physical game. Georgetown used to beat up on us, and now we've made it an even fight and won a couple of games the last few years. We're trying to continue the same type of thing."

Additional

While going up against Georgetown is a big contest no matter the stakes, the fact that the contest sits as Hunter's home debut makes the contest all the more meaningful -- especially considering the storied history that the game has had in recent years.

"It's really exciting," Hunter said. "When they gave me the word that I got the job, this was one of the first things I thought about -- getting back to the Cave. This is a special place for me, and I'm excited to be back. I wish I could get a jersey and get out there myself. I'm just trying to get the guys to understand what this game means for the Cave and Shawnee State as a program. It's a local rival, it's an old Mid-South Conference rival. All games are big, but this one is bigger. I'm ready for this game, and I believe that the guys are, too."

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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fp-dBU4HDQ0 -- Video by Will Martin