As January nears its end and college basketball takes an early look toward tournament season, the Tulane Green Wave find themselves in a deep hole.
Two tough losses this week have dropped Tulane’s record to a dismal 8-12 (1-6 American Athletic Conference). It is no secret that the Green Wave face an uphill battle heading into February, but it is a battle they can win if they put their ugly January behind them.
The week got off to a rocky start on Sunday when Tulane hosted a red hot SMU opponent that is the only undefeated team in Division I basketball. Things started well against the conference-leading Mustangs, matching blow for blow in the first half. The Green Wave only trailed by four heading into halftime thanks in large part to the uncharacteristic poor shooting of the Mustangs.
It was poor shooting of their own, though, that ultimately doomed the Wave. Tulane finished with a lackluster 14-of-48 (29.2 percent) on field goals. Accompany that with 20 turnovers, and there’s the formula that led to Tulane’s 60-45 defeat.
One bright spot for the Green Wave in this game, however, was the play of freshman guard Melvin Frazier. Frazier led the team with 11 points and recorded five rebounds on the day.
Tulane’s second defeat came on the road Tuesday at the hands of the UConn Huskies. Again, poor shooting was the culprit in the loss as the Green Wave put up only 14-of-54 (25.9 percent) on field goals. This time, though, it wasn’t the turnovers that sunk Tulane, but instead fouls. As a team, it racked up 21 against the Huskies.
However, there were, again, shimmers of hope. Senior Louis Dabney led the Green Wave with 15 points. His three rebounds and two three-point shots also helped the team. As a unit, Tulane made 90 percent of its free throws on Tuesday evening as well; drastic improvement in an area that was in much need of it.
While the two-game losing streak does ensure that the Green Wave remain toward the bottom of the AAC, they are also not the cellar dwellers. Their 1-6 conference record has them currently above the USF Bulls and the East Carolina Pirates, who both have yet to notch a conference win.
Tulane’s next game pits it up against Cincinnati on Sunday. The Bearcats are 3-3 in AAC play and the team that is directly in front of the Green Wave in conference standings. A win here would undoubtedly do loads for this struggling team’s confidence, as the program looks for a second-half surge.
Tip off in Cincinnati is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
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