GAME NOTES: Coach Ron Hunter will make his return to Fairgrounds Coliseum, as his Georgia State Panthers take on the IUPUI Jaguars in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.

Hunter coached IUPUI for 17 years before taking the reins of GSU's program in March 2011. His Panthers are off to a promising start, entering the weekend with a 4-2 record. GSU won three games in as many days earlier this week in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic as it defeated Chicago State (69-46), Western Carolina (85-70) and Oakland (83-78) by an average of 14.3 points. The Panthers are the second-highest scoring team in the Sun Belt Conference at 80 ppg, and they rank fifth in the league in scoring defense (68.3 ppg).

The Jaguars are 2-3 in their inaugural season under rookie head coach Jason Gardner. IUPUI dropped a 73-60 decision at Drake on Tuesday in its last outing. The Jags are 1-1 at home in 2014-15, and both games were decided in overtime. Gardner's unit is producing only 64.8 ppg and committing a Summit League-worst 26.2 fouls per outing. IUPUI has been very weak defensively, surrendering 73.2 ppg on 46.8 percent shooting from the floor.

This will mark the second meeting between GSU and IUPUI. These schools met first on Nov. 22, 2009, when Hunter led the Jaguars to a 67-56 overtime win over the Panthers.

Hunter's offense revolves around the duo of his son, R.J. Hunter (22.8 ppg) and former Kentucky starter Ryan Harrow (20.2 ppg, 6.2 apg). Hunter and Harrow are ranked second and fourth among the SBC's scoring leaders, respectively. The 6-foot-6 Hunter stole the show at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, pumping in 27 points versus Western Carolina on Tuesday before scoring 29 against Oakland the following night. Harrow recorded his first double-double of the season versus the Golden Grizzlies with 14 points and 11 assists. GSU has another high-profile transfer in its starting lineup in former Louisville Cardinal Kevin Ware (8.2 ppg). The Panthers also utilize junior forward Markus Crider, who is pacing the SBC in field goal percentage (.704).

The Jaguars are still trying to figure out their identity at the offensive end. P.J. Boutte and Aaron Brennan are tied for the team lead in scoring at 8.8 ppg, while the former is also tallying 4.8 apg and 2.4 spg. None of IUPUI's players scored in double figures versus Drake, which held the Jaguars under 36 percent shooting overall. Jalen McCallum scored eight points in the loss after coming into the contest with just 10 career points. Gardner has not had the full services of senior guard Khufu Najee, who was forced to sit out last game due to injury. The rookie head coach has used his bench plenty, as IUPUI's reserves have accounted for 49.4 percent of the team's scoring.

IUPUI's biggest strength is its ability to record steals, as it has collected 8.4 thefts per game. The Jaguars will have trouble picking the pocket of Harrow, who is one of the best ball handlers in the country and tends to run the show for the Panthers. IUPUI will have a rough day if it allows GSU to control the tempo.