Roster | Schedule | Ticket Info
STATESBORO – Year one was a whirlwind for Georgia Southern men’s basketball coach Brian Burg, his staff and the student-athletes on his team.
Hired in early April, at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Burg’s To-Do List following the press conference wound up looking something like this:
- Move halfway across the country.
- Hire a staff.
- Fill nine roster spots, which was tied for the fourth-most in the country, without the ability to travel or bring recruits on campus.
- Put together a schedule.
- Rip up said schedule and put together another one.
- Coach basketball while maintaining flexibility in regard to when practices might be, who the opponent might be, when the game may be played and which Eagles might be available to play in it. For example, the Eagles added a game 72 hours before tip-off vs USC Upstate.
With nine returning letterwinners and a sense of normalcy when it comes to offseason workouts, team practices, the start of the season, a schedule and a weekly routine, the beginning of year two has looked a lot different. The culture, philosophies and expectations have been established and are continuing to blossom, and being able to participate in a normal offseason will pay dividends on the court in 2021-22.
“Returning nine guys is one of the greatest advantages we have,” says Burg. “Last year, we met guys we signed for the first time in-person when they got to campus. Being able to go through an entire spring, a summer, a preseason and now training camp, you have more continuity. You have guys who understand your philosophies on both sides of the basketball, and they are also helping the newcomers. It's allowed us to have a true foundation.”
There were plenty of positives in the 2020-21 campaign. The Eagles ranked fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, first in turnovers forced and third in steals. Georgia Southern’s 67.8 points per game allowed tied for the 10th best in school history. Building on that defensive identity and establishing a better offensive rhythm has helped Georgia Southern improve in the offseason.
“It's a huge difference,” adds senior guard Gedi Juozapaitis. “Last year, when we all came in, COVID kind of restricted the time we were allowed to work out. This year, we've been playing a lot together over the summer, building that team chemistry, and the difference is going to be significant.”
