GAME NOTES: The Georgia Southern Eagles have flown to the Land of Lincoln to tangle with the Illinois Fighting Illini in the 2014-15 season opener for both teams.

Georgia Southern is hoping for better showing than it had in coach Mark Byington's first season at the helm in 2013-14, when it went 15-19 overall and won just six of its 16 Southern Conference bouts. The Eagles have made the switch to Conference USA for this season, and despite having one of the league's top performers on their side, it will likely be a struggle for them to finish in the upper half of the standings.

While they won 20 games last season, it was something of a down year for the Fighting Illini as they went just 7-11 in the ultra-competitive Big Ten Conference. Head coach John Groce is hoping his club will climb the league ladder a few rungs this time around, but there is plenty of uncertainty as only two starters return and some talented, but unfamiliar newcomers could take some time to find their way.

These two teams are meeting for the fourth time in history, with Illinois having won each of the first three. The most recent encounter took place on Nov. 17, 2006 in Champaign with the Illini prevailing in an 85-50 final.

The Eagles suffered through their sixth straight losing season in 2013-14, and while it appears they will struggle to take flight in their first campaign in C-USA, it won't be for a lack of effort on the part of star guard Jelani Hewitt. Hewitt is a one-man wrecking crew for Byington's squad, as he averaged 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season.

Georgia Southern, which scored nearly 71 ppg but averaged fewer than 10 assists per outing, will certainly need others to step up. One guy who could complement Hewitt perfectly is College of Charleston transfer Trent Wiedeman.

Production at the offensive end of the court was the main problem for Illinois last season, as it averaged only 64.2 ppg behind typical shooting efforts of 41.1 percent overall and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. The team had just two players who averaged double figures in the scoring column, but only one of them will suit up this season.

Rayvonte Rice (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.7 spg) can do nearly everything well, except shoot from long range (46-of-156, .295), and he will likely be the focal point of Groce's game plan over the next several months. Tracy Abrams (10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg) was expected to help, but he suffered a serious knee injury in the off-season and will redshirt this year. That leaves 6-foot-11 senior Nnanna Egwu (6.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg), as well as transfers Ahmad Starks (Oregon State) and Aaron Cosby (Seton Hall) as the most viable options to help Rice keep the Illini moving in the right direction.

The effort Hewitt is likely to put forth aside, there is little chance the Eagles have of coming out of this opener with a win. It will likely take a few games for the Illini to come together as a cohesive unit, but giving the hometown faithful a thrill to kick off the campaign is a virtual lock.