The Green Wave has been dominated in its last three games and desperately needs to find a way to fix things ahead of postseason play.
The Tulane Green Wave couldn't have gone colder at a worse time.
After an up-and-down season, the Green Wave is rolling into its final regular season game of the season -- and last game at Avron B. Fogelman Arena for the year -- on a three-game losing streak. These losses haven't been tough, close calls either: the program has lost by roughly 30 points in each of these contests to the likes of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, South Florida Bulls and Temple Owls.
What's been going wrong for Tulane? In all honesty, just about everything. There aren't necessarily any new problems for the Green Wave. Rather, all of the old problems that have persisted in spurts throughout the year are rearing their ugly heads at the same exact time. Poor shooting, a lack of rebounding, no sense of urgency... it's all been a major issue.
Now, the Olive Green and Sky Blue has just one more chance to grab even the slightest bit of momentum ahead of postseason play. Tulane has officially clinched a spot in the American Conference Tournament, though the program can fluctuate a bit from its current eighth-place spot. With the guaranteed postseason spot, Sunday's game is all about getting back on track and attempting to at least find a temporary solution to the program's slew of problems.
However, things couldn't be more different for the Green Wave's opponent. The Memphis Tigers will travel to Uptown as the current 10th-place team in the league, and there's plenty at stake. If the Tigers win, they'll be in the postseason... if not, then they risk a heavily disappointing end to the year and lots of uncertainty about the future.
This extra pressure on Memphis could be exactly what it needs to reach a different level on the court. If that's the case, then this will undoubtedly be the toughest game of the year for Tulane. Forget the fact that it's a rivalry game and the final game in Uptown for the team's seniors... nobody wants to play a desperate team.
That's not to say that the Green Wave should just give up before the game even starts. The program took down the Tigers on the road in an electric back-and-forth battle back in early February, with Tulane ultimately claiming the 78-76 win. The Uptown boys certainly have the talent to end the regular season with a big win -- but will the rest of the pieces fall into place?
The Green Wave will welcome the Tigers to its home court on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The program will then learn of its fate heading into the league tournament.