Graduating from Wren High School in Greenville, South Carolina with a 4.8 GPA and leading the Georgia Southern women’s basketball team in total points last season, junior Brittany Nakol Franks knows a thing or two about making her mark on and off the court.

Coming from an athletic family, Franks grew up with a strong work ethic. With all three of her younger siblings looking up to her, she knows she must be a good example. Her sophomore season, the 5 foot 7 guard went a month and half without missing one free throw and accumulated a .912 percentage from the line. 

“Right now, we’re placed in tenth in the Sun Belt preseason poll, but I think we could definitely finish in the top six,” Franks said.

Coming off of a 5-25 overall record and 2-16 in the Sun Belt last season, the Eagles worked hard during the offseason to improve on the offensive side of the ball.

“Most of our workouts are based around our offense, so we had individual workouts to find different ways to score better,” Franks said.

With no seniors on the roster this year, Franks will have to step into the leadership position. With 14 starts and 11 games putting up double digits last season, she is more than capable of taking on this responsibility.

When she’s not leading the Eagles in total points scored in a season or going 52-57 from the free throw line, she enjoys reading mystery novels, cooking any type of breakfast foods and spending time with her family.

“When I think about home, I miss my family the most,” Franks said.

With her father formerly playing basketball for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and North Greenville University, he is constantly pushing her to be a better player when training. 

“It’s fun playing the same position as him because we always joke around about who scores more,” Franks said of her dad. “Growing up, he really emphasized hard work and I think that’s where my work ethic comes from. We have a very tight relationship.”

Though Franks considers herself a little bit of a procrastinator with her academics, she made the Sun Belt Conference Honor Roll last season. As an exercise science major, she prefers to be hands on with her classes and is aiming towards a career as a strength and conditioning coach.

Before choosing GS, Franks finished her high school basketball career with 1,500 points, was appointed to three All-Region teams, was named as the 2013-14 Maxpreps Player of the Year for South Carolina, and was appointed to three All-State teams.

“I chose Georgia Southern because of the atmosphere. It’s not too big here, which I like, because I’m a small town person,” Franks said. “Everyone is super kind and it’s the perfect distance from home.”

When asked what advice she would give to any rising female collegiate basketball players, she emphasized dedication and effort.

“Come in ready to work! Don’t come in expecting to be a star,” Franks said. “You have to sacrifice a lot of your time, so be ready for that. To help everything to move along smoothly, take advantage of campus resources! When you have to miss class because of traveling, there are people around campus who can help you stay on track.”

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Sports Candidate, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu