Men's Basketball 2025-26 Roster Reload: Georgia State

Head Coach Jonas Hayes enters his fourth season at the helm of Georgia State, still searching for a breakthrough season.

After leading Xavier to an NIT championship as interim Head Coach, Hayes made his way to Atlanta with high expectations. However, the results have not been found. Through three seasons, the Panthers are yet to have a winning record under Hayes.

Hayes’ first season went very poorly, only winning 10 games (three in conference play). A slight improvement was made in year two, going 14-17, (8-10 in conference). Year three was very similar to year two, winning the same number of games both overall, and in conference.

Despite the tough three seasons, there are several reasons to be optimistic heading into the 2025-26 season.

Returning is point guard Malachi Brown, who briefly entered the portal in the spring. Brown finished top 10 in the Sun Belt in assists last season and gives the Panthers a floor general presence to run the offense.

He’s back! 😎#LightItBlue | #MORE pic.twitter.com/WJqtCi6ODf

— GSU Men’s Basketball (@GSU_MBasketball) April 5, 2025

Jelani Hamilton, a redshirt sophomore, returns after an impressive first season in which he averaged 10.8 points per contest, including a 28-point performance against Marshall in their last game. Clash Peters also returns for his sophomore season after a brief portal stint, providing energy and size off the bench.

Another intriguing returning piece is Trey Scott III, who redshirted as a freshman last season. The son of NBA sharpshooter Dennis Scott, Trey also brings floor-spacing ability to the Panthers’ frontcourt, and will look to play a big role this season.

Departures

Georgia State lost four of their top five scorers from last season to either the transfer portal or graduation.

Leading the departing group is Cesare Edwards, who only spent one season in Atlanta. Edwards recorded a team, and career, high in scoring (16.2 ppg) and blocks (1.5 bpg). He was also named Second Team All-Conference for last season.

Zarique Nutter, who came off the bench for much of the season but still finished as the team’s second leading scorer (14.2 ppg) also leaves a void on the team. Nutter will spend his final season at Fordham in the A-10.

The shooting of Toneari Lane is also something that will need to be replaced immediately. Lane, who transferred to San Diego, averaged 13 points per game last season, and took 255 three-pointers in each of his two seasons in Atlanta.

Nick McMullen also graduates alongside Edwards. McMullen was one of the best rebounders in the country last season, pulling down 9.5 per contest, which was good for second in the Sun Belt. Production on the boards is yet another thing Hayes and Staff will have to replace.

Depth also took a hit this offseason with several bench departures, including Darnell Evans, DK Manyiel Dut, Jason Jackson, Justin Archer, Vashon Ferguson, and Aaron Oh. Injuries and inconsistent minutes limited this group’s production last year, but they leave the roster very thin.

Arrivals

To build onto their returning pieces, Georgia State brings in nine new players with a transfer class of seven, and a two-man freshman class.

Leading the way is Jakai Newton, a transfer guard from Indiana. The former four-star recruit and Georgia native returns home after an injury-riddled two seasons in Bloomington. If he can stay healthy, Newton could be one of the top players in the Sun Belt.

New kid on the BLOCK 😏❌#LightItBlue | #MORE pic.twitter.com/wEiTE6QkST

— GSU Men’s Basketball (@GSU_MBasketball) October 15, 2025

James Cooper, who transfers in from Oregon, was a late addition for the Panthers. The 6-foot-8 grad student appeared in 29 games over four seasons for the Ducks.

A pair of Division-II transfers have joined the Panthers: Anthony Enoh (Jessup) and Ayouba Berthe (Minot State). Enoh averaged 11 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1 block per game last season. Berthe brings reliable shooting to potentially replace Toneari Lane, as he shot just under 39 percent on 170 attempts behind the arc.

The Panthers also recruited the non-NCAA ranks. Christian Beam (Southern Utah State C.C.) provides size down low standing at 7-foot-1, and averaged 8.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. Joah Chappelle (Pearl River C.C.) comes in with three years of eligibility after averaging 16.3 points and bringing in 7.8 rebounds as a freshman last season. Wing Isaiah Sherrard comes in from Moorpark College in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) after starting his career at Washington.

In the high school recruiting ranks, Hayes has added two local products. Micah Tucker, a guard from Overtime Elite in Atlanta, was also recruited by plenty of high-major programs such as West Virginia and Auburn. Chris Jones, a guard from Frederick Douglas High School, brings athleticism and potential. Both freshmen will play big roles in the future, but also could as soon as this season.

Georgia State has the tools to turn it around this year, but now it’s time for Hayes and his staff to put it together, as pressure is mounting. The Panthers will travel to Eastern Michigan on opening night, with tipoff at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.