The Green Wave has been on a hot streak lately and has continued to climb in the American Conference standings. Can the team pick up another solid win over the Rice Owls on Sunday afternoon?
To say that the tides have turned a bit for the Tulane Green Wave men's basketball program would be an understatement.
Out of seemingly nowhere, the Green Wave has established a bit of a rhythm -- and it couldn't have come at a better time. Tulane has won three consecutive games: a double-digit win over a strong group of Temple Owls, a gritty one-point victory against the UAB Blazers and a come-from-behind takedown of the North Texas Mean Green. This unprecedented winning streak is tied for the longest such streak in league play by the Green Wave.
What exactly has Tulane changed to be so competitive? On one hand, shooting has been stronger over the past two weeks. Rowan Brumbaugh has continued to lead the program offensively on the hardwood, but other key players have found a bit of a rhythm.
On the other hand, the team has seemingly played more aggressively on defense. During the program's recent five-game losing streak, rebounding was a key issue that often seemed to make the difference in games. While the Green Wave still hasn't necessarily been a great rebounding team, it's made a much bigger effort on the boards. However, there's still plenty of work to be done in that area.
Of course, Tulane has also caught quite a few opponents in a "down game." Everyone knows those games: the type where the shots just aren't falling, no amount of defense can force a stop and everything that can go wrong does go wrong. The Green Wave has reaped the benefits of some lucky breaks, on top of playing much better than expected.
The team will look to keep the winning ways going against the Rice Owls on Sunday afternoon. While the Olive Green and Sky Blue is currently riding a high, the Owls have lost two of their last three games.
The American Conference race is incredibly close with just a few weeks left in the regular season, as only the top 10 teams will make the league tournament in March. The South Florida Bulls and Wichita State Shockers are pulling away for the top spots, but everything from the third seed to the 11th seed is still a toss-up. Tulane is currently tied for sixth in the lead with the Memphis Tigers: both teams have a 7-6 record. A win on Sunday could put the squad in a three-way tie for the fourth seed, while a loss results in a three-way tie for eighth.
Meanwhile, Rice sits on the outside looking in. The Owls are stuck in 11th place in the American with a 5-8 record. With a win on Sunday, the team could at least tie North Texas for the 10th seed -- and Rice does have the tiebreaker win over the Mean Green.
Who wants it more: a team just as close to climbing in the standings as it is to falling, or a team looking for a miracle down the stretch? Tulane and Rice will take the court at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse at 1 p.m.