Sun Belt Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade ('13-23)

Sun Belt Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Sep 4, 2023

Mar 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; The Georgia State Panthers bench surrounds Panthers guard R.J. Hunter (22) after their victory over the Baylor Bears in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena.Georgia State defeated Baylor 57-56 on Hunter's three point basket with 2.8 second left in the game. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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Sun Belt Basketball Georgia State Panthers guard D’Marcus Simonds Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /

6. D’Marcus Simonds

Georgia State has had prosperous seasons in this last decade and Simonds was definitely a part of that success. A 6’3 combo guard from Gainesville, Georgia, he was with the Panthers between 2016 and 2019, becoming a major scoring threat during his three seasons in the Sun Belt under Ron Hunter.

Nearly a full-time starter as a freshman, he put up 13.4 points a game in a 20-win season for the Panthers. By his sophomore season, Simonds had developed into an elite scorer, averaging 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while leading Georgia State to the 2018 NCAA Tournament. He’d even score 24 against Cincinnati in their loss in the Big Dance. As a junior, the numbers were still great and he’d lead the Panthers to both a regular season and tournament title in the Sun Belt, finishing his career in the NCAA Tournament again.

Simonds was Sun Belt Rookie of the Year as a freshman, Player of the Year as a sophomore, and First Team All-Sun Belt in each of those last two seasons. Additionally, he was the league’s top scorer and Tournament MVP in a masterful sophomore season, one where he also was 2nd in steals and among the most accurate shooters. Simonds declared for the Draft after those three seasons and has continued his career internationally, but certainly had quite the career at Georgia State.