College basketball officially enters its final month before tournament season. That being said, the big dance in March is one of the furthest things from the minds of several teams as they look to just get through February on a stronger note than they did January.The Tulane Green Wave appear to be one of those clubs.
After losing two more conference games, Tulane finds itself looking up at everyone else in the American Athletic Conference.
Tulane’s recent tailspin continued on Wednesday evening when it faced off against a USF team that got revenge on The Wave for its earlier defeat; 21 free throws and 11 blocked shots helped propel the Bulls ahead this time around.
Tulane, on the other hand, was only able to put up seven free throws and three blocked shots. If those numbers weren’t staggering enough, 15 turnovers thrown in there made for an ugly 73-60 defeat. The loss to the Bulls dropped Tulane to the AAC’s 11th and last-place position.
That was a position that the Green Wave wouldn’t surrender on Saturday when they traveled to Oklahoma to play Tulsa. Although their free throw numbers improved from the USF game (10), their overall performance left much to be desired.
As a team, Tulane failed to break 50 on the scoreboard, scoring only 48 points in a 14-point loss to the Golden Hurricane. Their 18 team fouls sent Tulsa to the line 13 times. This has been a trouble area for the team all season long and has paid dividends in their current 1-9 conference record and last place ranking in the AAC.
So, as is asked every week, what can be done for The Wave to get their season back on the winning track? It must start with ball protection. Tulane’s turnover ratio has been sub-par to say the least. In their last two games, the team has turned it over 36 times. It’s difficult to win games that way.
Fouls and free throws have also thwarted success for the team. Currently, the Green Wave are averaging nearly 19 fouls a game. In essence, they are giving the ball to the opposing team at an alarming rate, a rate that makes it nearly impossible to win games.
It gets even more difficult as the UCF Knights make their way to New Orleans for a date with the Green Wave. They too are looking to snap a losing streak after failing to record a win in their last three games.
It’s a classic case of “something’s got to give” when the reeling Knights come to town on Thursday. In order for it to be Tulane that comes out with a snapped skid, it must work to correct its dismal numbers in those specifically mentioned key areas.
Tip off against UCF is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
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