STATESBORO – Lucky Georgia Southern fans can get a gander of his massive 7-foot-7 wing span on campus or sometimes buzzing around at football games on Saturdays in Paulson Stadium. 

A member of a rare species, especially in this habitat, Eagle fans have not seen the likes of one since 1991, and nature enthusiasts will be able to get a glimpse of him in Hanner Fieldhouse this season. As a matter of fact, he posed for photos and signed autographs after Georgia Southern's hurricane exhibition basketball game last Tuesday.

For many, that was the first close-up look at 7-foot-1 Tyshaun Crawford, the first true 7-footer at Georgia Southern since Emmett Smith played for the Eagles from 1989-91. With seven rebounds, a pair of blocked shots and an assist in just over 12 minutes of action, the big man did not disappoint his observers.

"He has great size and presence about him and when he gets the ball on the block or around the rim, he has the ability to score and is tough to stop down there," said Georgia Southern coach Mark Byington. "He has to keep learning and keep getting better, but there are going to be situations this year where he is going to be a major contributor."

Crawford's great grandfather stood 7-foot-1, his father is 6-foot-11 and his mother, a former college volleyball standout, is 6-foot-2, so it is not a big surprise that Tyshaun grew to be this big. It took some getting used to, but the redshirt freshman has learned to embrace it.

"As a kid, I was always the biggest on my teams, and when we would hang out, I was always the biggest," said Crawford. "A lot of the attention kind of got to me but as I grew up, I learned it just comes with the territory and the sport I play."

Already 6-foot-9, he hit yet another growth spurt the summer before his junior season that put him over 7-feet tall, and the native of Griffin, Georgia, drew interest from a number of Division I programs because as the adage goes, you can't teach 7-feet.

His high school coach, Willie Reese, and AAU coach, James Forrest, both played college ball at Georgia Tech for legendary coach Bobby Cremins and tutored Crawford. As a result, he is skilled offensively with good foot work and touch around the basket. The key to his future at Georgia Southern and beyond is adjusting to the speed of the game at this level.

"I came here kind of a fat boy so I had to lose a lot of weight to be able to run so that redshirt year helped a lot with that," said Crawford. "I just took it as a learning year, and my teammates made it easy for me to cope with that. I learned a lot from guys like Montae (Glenn) and Simeon (Carter) and the coaching staff who worked with me over the year so I could be ready to play."

Byington's system on both sides of the ball also takes some getting used to, and Crawford is getting more comfortable on a daily basis. It is a read-and-react offense and a primarily switching defense so bigs must be able to guard all five positions.

"This is all new to me," he said. "We run a randomized offense, and I was used to a systematic offense so it's a challenge, and I work on guarding the perimeter every day. I just have to trust the defense and know that they have my back. I'm working on my foot speed and being able to move laterally."

Defending the perimeter is a must-have skill for any level of professional basketball, and scouts already have their eye on Crawford because… well… you can't teach 7-feet. The pace of the game has changed and the lumbering, back-to-the-basket, never-leave-the-paint big man is more rare than a 7-footer at Georgia Southern these days. Crawford knows he has to adjust but says there will always be a place in the game for the true center.
"The game is getting faster, but the 5 is never going to go anywhere," he said. "I have to expand my game and be able to face up and guard the perimeter because a lot of guys are becoming faster and are able to shoot. I have to be able to shoot and do what they do."

Crawford continues to work hard carving out a role in the rotation for the Eagles. He admits he has to get in even better shape to run the floor, play defense and be the rim protector Georgia Southern needs. If his redshirt year is any indication of his upward progression, expect him to be a difference maker sooner rather than later.

"The game was too fast for him last year, and that's hard when you are 7-foot-1 and close to 300 pounds but it's night and day from when he first got here until now," said Byington. "He's able to play harder and make continual effort plays."

For fans who want to see Crawford and the Eagles, the wait is over. Georgia Southern plays its first two contests of 2018-19 in Hanner Fieldhouse, starting Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Carver College. The Eagles also play host to George Mason Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. The Patriots are the only team in the nation to return 100 percent of their scoring offense and every player from a season ago, and the Green & Gold were picked fourth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.

Georgia Southern reached 20 wins for the second time in four years in 2017-18, posting a 21-12 mark, and joined Louisiana and UTA as the only three Sun Belt schools to notch double-digit conference wins in each of the last four seasons. The Eagles return three starters and five lettermen to the 2018-19 team.

Georgia Southern annually offers one of the best values in the Sun Belt for men's basketball season tickets and this year is no different. Season tickets in the lower reserved sections (F-J) are $175 and sell out quickly while season tickets in the upper reserved sections (7-12) are $140. General admission season tickets are $100 and courtside seats are $450 each (minimum $1,200 Eagle Fund donation required to purchase courtside seats). Fans can purchase season tickets by visiting GSEagles.com/tix or calling 1-800-GSU-WINS.

Fans who purchase a men's season ticket will have a women's season ticket included for no additional charge.