MBB Season Preview: Eagles to Get Tested on the Road

Roster | Schedule | Ticket Info

STATESBORO – The Road Board hangs in Georgia Southern men’s basketball coach Brian Burg’s office when it’s not, well, on the road.

The simple 2x4 piece of wood symbolizes much more to the Eagles – a constant reminder of how to handle adversity by tuning out distractions, staying in the moment and taking one step at a time. The idea is that you can place the board on the ground anywhere and walk across it with ease. But what if you placed it 100-feet in the air between two high-rise buildings, could you walk across it then? What if you placed it across a fire pit, could you walk across it? After all, it’s the same board.

“It’s about having the mental toughness, the grit, the energy and the courage to be able to handle the adversity that will inevitably come on the road,” said Burg. “It’s about a cohesive team putting aside whatever the distractions may be and walking across the board together.”

The Eagles take the Road Board with them whenever they play away from the friendly confines of Hanner Fieldhouse, and it is set to log quite a bit of mileage this season. Georgia Southern will play 17 of its 30 regular-season games away from home (16 on the road and one neutral site game), giving the Eagles ample opportunity to be tested on the lessons of the Road Board. It is a schedule designed to present plenty of adversity that will help prepare Georgia Southern for the Sun Belt Tournament.

After opening the season Nov. 9 against Ball State in Hanner Fieldhouse, the road slate begins with a trip to South Florida Nov. 13. Georgia Southern then plays two contests in a multi-team event at Wofford (Hampton Nov. 20, Wofford Nov. 21).

The Eagles travel to Georgia Tech Nov. 26 for their first meeting against the Yellow Jackets since 1998, and travel to Morehead State, an NCAA Tournament team a season ago, Dec. 1.  Games at Mercer Dec. 11 and Campbell Dec. 15 follow the break for exams, and Georgia Southern caps the non-conference slate by traveling to the Bronx for the program's first contest against Fordham.

“It’s a very challenging schedule that is, for the most part, in our region,” said Burg. “We put a tough schedule together because we know we are an experienced team. We feel like going on the road and playing in these tough environments gives us great opportunities to get ready for Sun Belt Conference play and the Sun Belt Tournament.”

Playing on the road also gives Georgia Southern student-athletes experiences off the court. The Eagles are hoping to visit National Historic sites like Little Rock Central High School and the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis. The Eagles also plan to spend some time in New York City prior to the Fordham game.

“Some of these guys have never been out of Georgia or have had very limited opportunities to travel outside of Georgia so any time you have the ability to visit places that have shaped our history or experience a city like New York, it's a great opportunity,” said Burg.

As a result of this season’s road docket, Georgia Southern fans will rewarded with a robust home schedule in 2022-23. Wofford, Mercer, Morehead State and Campbell are all slated to come to Hanner. Florida Gulf Coast, which the Eagles played on the road last season, is also slated to play its return game in Statesboro next season.

Georgia Southern opens the season Nov. 9 in a 7 p.m. contest against Ball State in Hanner Fieldhouse. Season tickets are priced as low as $100 and currently on sale along with the Fast Break Flex Plan, which allows fans the ability to choose up to 10 games to attend as well as the number of tickets they need for each game.

Tickets for The Backcourt, a new premium area to enhance game days, which will be located in the space where the Sixth Man Club has been previously hosted (Sixth Man Club will not exist), are also on sale.