Last Monday Georgia State beat Louisiana 80-71 in the Sun Belt tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Panthers started conference play 2-5 before winning each of their last 10 games to make the NCAA tourney, where they will face #1 seed Gonzaga in Portland on Thursday. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Georgia State dancer Emily Matzick about performing at the Super Bowl and winning the conference tourney.
You grew up in Georgia: what made you choose Georgia State? Growing up I always wanted to live in a big city. What better city or school than Georgia State because it is in the heart of Atlanta.
You are majoring in Early Childhood Education: why did you choose that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? Teachers made such an impact on me growing up and I wanted to be that role model for other people. I always loved school and my coaches so I wanted to follow in those footsteps to become a teacher/coach. After school, I have a summer teaching job lined up already, but I am considering other outlets within academic advising in athletics.
You have been a dancer for a long time: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? Growing up, I was always playing dress-up and dancing around the grocery store or in my house. There was a studio next to the daycare that I went to and it worked out that I was able to start when I turned three. The best part of dance are the performances because you are able to showcase what you have spent your time working on.
You have been on the Pantherettes dance team for 4 years and a captain for 2 years: what is the key to being a good leader? Being supportive in every aspect. We are dancers who love cheering on our athletes, but there is so much more that goes into being a Pantherette. It is important to be there for the team in many different ways between grades, jobs, and internships. We have to be able to do our best off the court/field to be the best on it!
The Panthers made the 2019 NCAA tournament before losing to Houston: what are your memories of your trip to Tulsa? I was a freshman who was lucky enough to attend as a first-year rookie. I was in awe of the atmosphere as well as trying to soak up every part of the experience. I remember attending the team’s open practice and getting to see the inside of the BOK Center where we would be cheering on our Panthers.
You previously performed at the Super Bowl: what was that experience like? Being a part of the Super Bowl was such a unique experience. It was cool to see the “other side” of the halftime show. To see how they planned and practiced the performance that millions of people watch. We practiced for a full week leading up to the show. We met off-site and then were escorted to the field to perform.
Last Monday in the Sun Belt tourney title game the Panthers had a 9-PT win over Louisiana: what is the atmosphere like on campus this week after winning the title? I am not currently attending classes on campus because of my teaching internship. However, I heard that the campus was excited and happy to see another conference championship be brought home.
How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The travel team is picked based on seniority as well as availability. It means so much to us to be able to keep cheering on our Panthers as we continue into March Madness!
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA Tournament next week? We plan to be loud, excited, and ready to help our Panthers keep their momentum going strong to more victories.
Any predictions for next week? Our team is on a good streak right now and our guys have great chemistry! They showed up and showed out at the Sun Belt Conference and I have full confidence they can keep it going.