The Green Wave has struggled heavily in the lats few games after a promising start to American play.
Let's face it: things haven't been too good for the Tulane Green Wave on the hardwood over the last few weeks.
After a promising start to American Conference play, the team has dropped two straight games to the UAB Blazers and the North Texas Mean Green -- the latter of which is among the worst teams in the league at this point in the year.
Now, things will get even tougher for the Green Wave, as it prepares to face the Florida Atlantic Owls on Wednesday night after a short two days of rest. While Tulane did take down FAU just a few weeks ago -- winning a nail-biter of a game by a score of 69-66 -- it feels like the team that has taken the court in the most recent contests is a shell of itself.
What's the problem? The team has some incredibly talented players, including preseason American Conference Player of the Year Rowan Brumbaugh and preseason American Conference Second Team selection Asher Woods. Outside of the occasional tough, outing, both have led the team as expected. Additionally, the team has picked up some solid contributions from the likes of Tyler Ringgold, Scotty Middleton and Curtis Williams Jr.
In the prior matchup between the two programs, Brumbaugh led all scorers with 20 points, and Woods was right behind him with 16 points. No other player was able to score in double-figures, but the team benefitted from better overall shooting, especially from beyond the three-point line and from the charity stripe.
The scoring hasn't exactly been as plentiful in the Green Wave's recent string of losses, and the team hasn't been able to squeak by due to bad offensive performances by the opposing team. The defense has been just as questionable as it has through much of the season, and there haven't been any significant contributions off the bench.
Earlier in the week, it seemed like the program's game against the Mean Green could be the deciding force for the rest of the season. Wednesday's game against the Owls is shaping up to be much bigger. How will Tulane look against a team that it found a way to beat just over two weeks ago?
It's up to the student-athletes and coaching staff to prove that the latest struggles are nothing more than a bit of tough stretch, and the team can be better. Another rough outing with league play only getting more difficult, and it's easy to imagine that things could spiral to the point that there are some major changes by the time next season arrives.