Troy University Athletics
Johnson's Journal - Chasing Dreams Far From Home: Koricanac and Achol Embrace Life as Trojans
11/18/2025 9:35:00 AM | Basketball (W)
The paths taken by freshmen Lana Koricanac of Belgrade, Serbia, and Marianah Achol of Rumbek, South Sudan, to join the Troy women's basketball team are very much intertwined.
It began with interest Troy coach Chanda Rigby had for Achol after seeing her first play in an AAU basketball game, eventually leading to the recruitment of Koricanac as well.
The two players were high school teammates at Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academy, a powerhouse team in Decatur, Ga., which often fills its roster through a program structured for international students to attend the school.
Achol, who stands 6-foot-4, developed a quick respect for Rigby early on during the recruiting process, and it's grown even more since she arrived on campus.
"I just liked the way she consistently talked to me and encouraged me on my basketball journey … like she really wanted me compared to other people," Achol said.
"She has a lot of leadership skills in her, and she knows how to talk to our players. She loves everyone equally and gives equal opportunities. That kind of builds your confidence as a player."
Koricanac, a sharpshooting 5-foot-11 guard, got the attention of Rigby and her assistants as they watched practice sessions at Greenforest during the recruitment on Achol.
"The first time when they came, I didn't even know that they were interested," Koricanac said of the Troy coaches. "They came back a second time for me again and that's when, like, all the things started."
Neither were familiar with Troy at first, but through research, they quickly became familiar with the university.
It seemed to be a natural fit for the two recruits, seeing how Troy offers international students more than 60 graduate and undergraduate programs.
Of course, it was more so the relationship the two developed with Rigby and the past success of the Trojans on the court that ultimately sealed the deal.
"After that second conversation with Coach Rigby, I really started looking over the program and looking at the achievements … because she's a really good coach, and she won the Sun Belt Conference championship multiple times, and other things," Koricanac said.
The journey to America
Koricanac started playing basketball at a young age and had lofty goals after learning much of her skills from her father, who is a basketball coach in Serbia.
"When I was in middle school, we were talking about me going to the U.S., pursuing basketball and also going to school," she said.
She was offered a scholarship at Bella Vista College Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she stayed a year before transferring to Greenforest for the next two.
"I had a friend over there (Greenforest) that was also from Serbia," Koricanac said. "She was there for some time, and she told me that she liked it over there. They needed players and they were giving me a scholarship and also one more girl from Serbia also came, so it was like three of us that were there."
Achol also had friends playing at Greenforest, thus the decision to make the journey from South Sudan to the United States for the first time in 2023.
"It was like a big thing because everyone dreams of coming here to play, like, better basketball, and if you get this opportunity, of course, you must be happy," Achol said.
There were certainly some adjustments to be made.
"Back home, the basketball is not so organized because we get to play in outdoor courts, and so coming to play here in the indoor courts was kind of a different new experience, and I just had to adjust to the whole thing," Achol said.
Becoming Troy Trojans
Koricanac was ruled ineligible to play her senior season at Greenforest due to paperwork issues and instead only practiced with the team, though, in some ways, it was a blessing in disguise for the eventual move to Troy.
After signing with Troy, she graduated high school early and was an early college enrollee last January.
"I talked to Coach Rigby because I also had an opportunity to go to Europe and play for a team during the rest of the (high school) season," Koricanac said. "She liked the idea that I come in January to travel with the team, practice with the team and just see the atmosphere and how the system works and stuff."
It accelerated the learning curve of becoming a college basketball player.
"I saw good and bad, so I know what to expect and I know how to adjust," Koricanac said. "Like, I know what coaches want from us, so I would say that's a really good advantage."
While practicing on the college level was a significant adjustment, she didn't feel out of place in the classroom despite being just 17 at the time.
"School wasn't hard for me because back home, school is way harder," Koricanac said. "So, school wasn't, and still is not a big deal for me. Like, I have really good grades."
Achol arrived at Troy this past May, and it was somewhat eye-opening the difference from the high school level and college basketball.
"It's a whole new experience … college life, being a student athlete and everything, but I adjusted," Achol said. "On the basketball court, the difference in college and high school is pretty big, because in college, it's a bit quicker compared to high school."
Much like on the prep level while at Greenforest, Achol finds herself as the tallest Trojan.
"In South Sudan, you find kids who are way tall," Achol said. "I'm kind of a normal height for everyone, but when I'm here, like I'm a little bit tall."
Achol said her new teammates have made her feel welcomed during what can be a difficult transition.
"I feel comfortable," Achol said. "My teammates are really good. If you need any help, you go to them and they will help you basketball-wise and outside basketball too."
Learning the ropes
Rigby's team this year is mostly a veteran one; thus the younger players won't have to be exactly thrown into the fire.
Still, the veteran coach does believe Koricanac and Achol have the tools to contribute as freshmen.
With Koricanac having spent much of last season practicing with the team, she's understandably a little further ahead than Achol.
"I think we're about to maybe reap some benefits from that," Rigby said of the early enrollment of Koricanac. "I mean, she's been right there on the bench with us in those big games all the way through the WNIT (in which Troy finished runner-up in the season-ending tourney last season).
"She was at every practice for a semester, so there's a lot of value in that – just not your average freshman.
"I think she had a trainer there in Serbia and grew up in a family where her dad, you know, was pushing her to basketball, so she's just more advanced."
Rigby is just as high on the potential for Achol, though realizes the slender forward may take longer to earn valuable minutes in games.
"Marianah's ceiling is so high, but she just turned 17 and she hasn't been playing basketball that long," Rigby said. "She's got a lot of basketball ... not only just basketball to learn ... but her body's got to develop and she's got to be in the weight room and this and that."
With her height, Achol calls rebounding her biggest strength.
"I like rebounding because it's easier for me to get up, get the ball and put it back in the basket … it's easy for me because I'm tall and I can just jump up," Achol said.
Achol is prepared to put in the work necessary to earn playing time.
"I just need to improve on my dribbling, correcting my shot, and being physical because I'm a little bit slim," she said. "I need to be physical. You know, basketball is a physical game.
"I'm always in the weight room every day because that's part of our schedule. I'm also trying to eat proteins and other things so that I can add muscle to improve on my game."
Keeping in touch with family
Understandably, the two get homesick at times.
Achol hasn't been back to South Sudan since coming to America three years ago.
"It's really hard with your family not being around you," Achol said. "It's a hard thing to deal with, but you know, you just have to stay focused and continue what you're doing."
Koricanac did make a trip back to Serbia for a few months during the summer and does touch base with her family most every day.
"I would say it's pretty hard, yeah," Koricanac said. "But my sister … she's also here in the U.S. in Maine right now. She's a freshman in high school. But, yes, it is hard.
"We talk a lot. There is a time difference, of course, but we still manage, you know, talking in between classes or like on the weekends."
Achol and Koricanac live in the same apartment together and have developed a close bond.
"I was happy when Lana was also offered too," Achol said. "I was like, 'OK, at least I know someone that I will know on the team.' She graduated early, so she kind of got to know everything around the school, so when I got here, it was easy."
Now both share the common goal of contributing to the basketball program and being part of a university that has become a home away from home.
It began with interest Troy coach Chanda Rigby had for Achol after seeing her first play in an AAU basketball game, eventually leading to the recruitment of Koricanac as well.
The two players were high school teammates at Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academy, a powerhouse team in Decatur, Ga., which often fills its roster through a program structured for international students to attend the school.
Achol, who stands 6-foot-4, developed a quick respect for Rigby early on during the recruiting process, and it's grown even more since she arrived on campus.
"I just liked the way she consistently talked to me and encouraged me on my basketball journey … like she really wanted me compared to other people," Achol said.
"She has a lot of leadership skills in her, and she knows how to talk to our players. She loves everyone equally and gives equal opportunities. That kind of builds your confidence as a player."
Koricanac, a sharpshooting 5-foot-11 guard, got the attention of Rigby and her assistants as they watched practice sessions at Greenforest during the recruitment on Achol.
"The first time when they came, I didn't even know that they were interested," Koricanac said of the Troy coaches. "They came back a second time for me again and that's when, like, all the things started."
Neither were familiar with Troy at first, but through research, they quickly became familiar with the university.
It seemed to be a natural fit for the two recruits, seeing how Troy offers international students more than 60 graduate and undergraduate programs.
Of course, it was more so the relationship the two developed with Rigby and the past success of the Trojans on the court that ultimately sealed the deal.
"After that second conversation with Coach Rigby, I really started looking over the program and looking at the achievements … because she's a really good coach, and she won the Sun Belt Conference championship multiple times, and other things," Koricanac said.
The journey to America
Koricanac started playing basketball at a young age and had lofty goals after learning much of her skills from her father, who is a basketball coach in Serbia.
"When I was in middle school, we were talking about me going to the U.S., pursuing basketball and also going to school," she said.
She was offered a scholarship at Bella Vista College Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she stayed a year before transferring to Greenforest for the next two.
"I had a friend over there (Greenforest) that was also from Serbia," Koricanac said. "She was there for some time, and she told me that she liked it over there. They needed players and they were giving me a scholarship and also one more girl from Serbia also came, so it was like three of us that were there."
Achol also had friends playing at Greenforest, thus the decision to make the journey from South Sudan to the United States for the first time in 2023.
"It was like a big thing because everyone dreams of coming here to play, like, better basketball, and if you get this opportunity, of course, you must be happy," Achol said.
There were certainly some adjustments to be made.
"Back home, the basketball is not so organized because we get to play in outdoor courts, and so coming to play here in the indoor courts was kind of a different new experience, and I just had to adjust to the whole thing," Achol said.
Becoming Troy Trojans
Koricanac was ruled ineligible to play her senior season at Greenforest due to paperwork issues and instead only practiced with the team, though, in some ways, it was a blessing in disguise for the eventual move to Troy.
After signing with Troy, she graduated high school early and was an early college enrollee last January.
"I talked to Coach Rigby because I also had an opportunity to go to Europe and play for a team during the rest of the (high school) season," Koricanac said. "She liked the idea that I come in January to travel with the team, practice with the team and just see the atmosphere and how the system works and stuff."
It accelerated the learning curve of becoming a college basketball player.
"I saw good and bad, so I know what to expect and I know how to adjust," Koricanac said. "Like, I know what coaches want from us, so I would say that's a really good advantage."
While practicing on the college level was a significant adjustment, she didn't feel out of place in the classroom despite being just 17 at the time.
"School wasn't hard for me because back home, school is way harder," Koricanac said. "So, school wasn't, and still is not a big deal for me. Like, I have really good grades."
Achol arrived at Troy this past May, and it was somewhat eye-opening the difference from the high school level and college basketball.
"It's a whole new experience … college life, being a student athlete and everything, but I adjusted," Achol said. "On the basketball court, the difference in college and high school is pretty big, because in college, it's a bit quicker compared to high school."
Much like on the prep level while at Greenforest, Achol finds herself as the tallest Trojan.
"In South Sudan, you find kids who are way tall," Achol said. "I'm kind of a normal height for everyone, but when I'm here, like I'm a little bit tall."
Achol said her new teammates have made her feel welcomed during what can be a difficult transition.
"I feel comfortable," Achol said. "My teammates are really good. If you need any help, you go to them and they will help you basketball-wise and outside basketball too."
Learning the ropes
Rigby's team this year is mostly a veteran one; thus the younger players won't have to be exactly thrown into the fire.
Still, the veteran coach does believe Koricanac and Achol have the tools to contribute as freshmen.
With Koricanac having spent much of last season practicing with the team, she's understandably a little further ahead than Achol.
"I think we're about to maybe reap some benefits from that," Rigby said of the early enrollment of Koricanac. "I mean, she's been right there on the bench with us in those big games all the way through the WNIT (in which Troy finished runner-up in the season-ending tourney last season).
"She was at every practice for a semester, so there's a lot of value in that – just not your average freshman.
"I think she had a trainer there in Serbia and grew up in a family where her dad, you know, was pushing her to basketball, so she's just more advanced."
Rigby is just as high on the potential for Achol, though realizes the slender forward may take longer to earn valuable minutes in games.
"Marianah's ceiling is so high, but she just turned 17 and she hasn't been playing basketball that long," Rigby said. "She's got a lot of basketball ... not only just basketball to learn ... but her body's got to develop and she's got to be in the weight room and this and that."
With her height, Achol calls rebounding her biggest strength.
"I like rebounding because it's easier for me to get up, get the ball and put it back in the basket … it's easy for me because I'm tall and I can just jump up," Achol said.
Achol is prepared to put in the work necessary to earn playing time.
"I just need to improve on my dribbling, correcting my shot, and being physical because I'm a little bit slim," she said. "I need to be physical. You know, basketball is a physical game.
"I'm always in the weight room every day because that's part of our schedule. I'm also trying to eat proteins and other things so that I can add muscle to improve on my game."
Keeping in touch with family
Understandably, the two get homesick at times.
Achol hasn't been back to South Sudan since coming to America three years ago.
"It's really hard with your family not being around you," Achol said. "It's a hard thing to deal with, but you know, you just have to stay focused and continue what you're doing."
Koricanac did make a trip back to Serbia for a few months during the summer and does touch base with her family most every day.
"I would say it's pretty hard, yeah," Koricanac said. "But my sister … she's also here in the U.S. in Maine right now. She's a freshman in high school. But, yes, it is hard.
"We talk a lot. There is a time difference, of course, but we still manage, you know, talking in between classes or like on the weekends."
Achol and Koricanac live in the same apartment together and have developed a close bond.
"I was happy when Lana was also offered too," Achol said. "I was like, 'OK, at least I know someone that I will know on the team.' She graduated early, so she kind of got to know everything around the school, so when I got here, it was easy."
Now both share the common goal of contributing to the basketball program and being part of a university that has become a home away from home.
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