The Georgia Southern Eagles are preparing for a “huge challenge” as they get set to host one of the biggest names in college basketball.
Today, legendary coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers come to the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center for a high-profile matchup. The game will also serve as a homecoming for LSU star guard Flau’jae Johnson, a Savannah native.
Johnson, the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year and a 2023 National Champion, played her high school basketball at Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga. She has since been a national star on the court and a successful rapper off it, carrying on the legacy of her late father, Savannah rapper “Camoflauge.”
Georgia Southern Head Coach Hana Haden knows the sell-out crowd at “The Hill” will be electric.
“It’s a huge challenge for our team. I think it’s a really cool opportunity,” Haden said. “We know a lot of people are coming to see Flau’Jae, but I think they’re going to see two teams that compete really hard.”
The game is part of a brutal early-season test for the Eagles, coming on the heels of a road trip to Florida State. Haden says she scheduled these games to get her new-look roster ready for conference play.
“We wanted to play them early… let’s expose our weaknesses, and so then we can move on and get better,” Haden said.
With a brand-new roster, Haden’s primary concern isn’t the scoreboard, but her team’s mindset.
“They’re obviously way bigger than we are… and there’s going to be possessions where we do all the things right, and maybe they still score,” Haden explained. “So I’m just most concerned with our mentality. I want us to stay really disciplined… I just want our mentality to be about toughness and togetherness.”
That confidence is shared by the team’s new leaders.
“My team is super locked in for every game but especially against LSU,” said 5th-year guard McKenna “Ken” Eddings. “I think it’s such a great opportunity… Not a lot of people get to be on the stage that we will be on come November 9th, that’s why it is so important to really lock in and give it all we have.”
That “locked-in” mentality is echoed by others, like senior guard Kishyah Anderson.
“The team’s mindset is us just being able to control what we can control. Executing and performing well is the team’s focus,” Anderson said. “Sticking true to our principles… and overall playing for each other is going to help us greatly.”
For freshman Kayla Cleaveland, the game is also a chance to soak in the new environment.
“We just want to enjoy the moment of having The Hill sold out and go out and play our brand of basketball,” Cleaveland said.
Coach Haden also pointed to the experience of players like Eddings, who has faced LSU before.
“She has a lot of confidence from all the work that she’s put in,” Haden said. “She’s played in the SEC. She hit a big shot against LSU to win the game when she was at Auburn… so she’s played well against them before.”
Ultimately, the game is an opportunity for a new Georgia Southern team to test its limits.
“I’m excited to challenge our team on how disciplined we can be,” Haden said.
