After beating FAU on Thursday, Memphis will look to win back-to-back games Sunday afternoon when it hosts Tulane. It’s the first time the Tigers have played the Green Wave this season, and the two teams will meet again in New Orleans for the final regular-season game of the year.
Tulane enters the weekend with a 12-9 record, but they’re only 3-5 in conference play. Ron Hunter’s team won three straight to start conference play, but they’re currently on a five-game losing streak.
The Green Wave have lost some close games during their losing streak, but they’re coming off a 14-point loss at home against South Florida. As a team, Tulane averages 73.6 points per game, shooting 43 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from deep and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Three players are averaging more than 10 points per game, and junior Rowan Brumbaugh leads the team with 19.1 points per game. Brumbaugh was named the American Conference preseason player of the year, and he’s shooting 36.9 percent from three-point range.
Both Curtis Williams Jr. and Asher Woods also average more than 10 points per game. Woods is in his third season with the program, while Williams joined the program this season after spending the last two seasons at Louisville and Georgetown.
Like most teams in the American, Tulane doesn’t have a ton of size, and they start four players 6-foot-6 or shorter. The Green Wave have struggled rebounding, and they only average 30.8 rebounds per game with a minus-7.6 rebounding margin.
Ron Hunter’s team only turns the ball over 10.6 times per game, and they force 12.6 turnovers per game. Tulane turns those turnovers into 15.2 points off turnovers, and they have the fourth-best turnover margin in the conference.
While they’ve struggled offensively this season, they’ve also had trouble defensively, and they rank No. 230 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. It’s been up-and-down for the Green Wave all season, and they’ve allowed 80 or more points seven times this season, including allowing 97 points in their most recent game against USF.
Opposing teams average 74.7 points per game, and they shoot 44.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep.
Both teams are looking to stack wins in conference play, and Tulane is seeking to remain in contention for the conference tournament. Only the top 10 teams make the conference tournament this season in Birmingham, and the Green Wave currently sits in 10th through eight conference games.