What has gone wrong for Georgia Southern basketball?

via @GSCoach_Charlie/Instagram

Roughly a month ago, the Georgia Southern basketball was on a nine-game win streak and sitting atop the Sun Belt Conference standings.

However, since their Jan. 3 win against Old Dominion, the Eagles have lost five of their last seven games and fallen to sixth in the Sun Belt. The most recent loss came at the hands of Louisiana, who was sitting at 13th in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference at the time of the game.

While Georgia Southern’s defense has been among the conference’s worst in terms of points allowed all season, their high-powered offense has done well to hide this weakness. Even despite their recent losing streak, the Eagles boast a positive (+1.7) scoring differential.

However, that offense has seen a considerable dropoff since the cold streak began. During their nine-game win streak, Charlie Henry’s squad averaged 88.3 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 33% from three. Since then, the Eagles have averaged just 74 points per game while shooting 40% from the field and 28% from three-point range.

Despite their offensive struggles, rebounding has shown up as the Eagles’ biggest weakness throughout their cold streak. Following their slump, Georgia Southern now ranks 13th in the Sun Belt in total rebounding margin — ahead of only Louisiana-Monroe, who currently sits at 3-20 (0-11 SBC) on the season.

The cold spell has only exaggerated the team’s need for a true big man, as the roster currently does not list a player above 6-foot-9. And while the Eagles remain in the running for a top-four seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, a crucial placement given the conference’s ladder format. However, if the team wants to become a force at the mid-major level, a big man is a necessary addition.