STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern women's basketball team officially opens up practice for the upcoming 2017-18 season on Sunday, and Head Coach Kip Drown is excited to see what is in store for the Eagles in his third season at the helm of the program.

The Eagles will get in an afternoon session today at Hanner Fieldhouse. The 2017-18 edition of the Georgia Southern women's basketball team is looking to build upon the momentum it created last season when it showed great strides, finishing sixth in the Sun Belt Conference with the program's best conference finish since 2010-11.

"I think this is a very balanced basketball team," Coach Drown said. "More so than the first two years I was here. And this is a hungry basketball team. We have a lot of kids who feel like they haven't had their chance to step up yet and take the reins. They're energetic, and I know they're excited about getting done with conditioning, getting into the gym and going day after day on the court."

Georgia Southern finished with a 13-17 overall record in 2016-17, but a 9-9 mark in the league gave the Eagles their first appearance in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. A team that ranked in the top of the league in fundamental categories such as free throw percentage and defense will look to put together their complete offense and defense plan leading up to the regular season opener on November 10th. 

"I love the next six weeks," Coach Drown said. "It's my favorite time of the year. We get to go out six days a week and just practice. We're not worried about game prep, or the film room; we're worried about just getting better and better on the floor every day. Once you hit the season, the games come so quick that you really don't have a chance to get better. But now we have a chance to take us to the next level."

Fans will get their first chance to see the Eagles in action on Tuesday, October 28th, when Georgia Southern hosts Fort Valley State in an exhibition contest slated for 6:30 p.m. at Hanner. The Eagles open up the regular season on the road, traveling to North Carolina A&T on Friday, November 10th, but Georgia Southern plays four of its first six games of the regular season at home, beginning with Coastal Georgia on Monday, November 13th, at 5 p.m.