LAS VEGAS – Tulane University men’s basketball will make its first postseason appearance since 2014 as it takes on USC in the first round of the Inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The opening round of the 16-team tournament will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The matchup between the Wave […]
LAS VEGAS – Tulane University men’s basketball will make its first postseason appearance since 2014 as it takes on USC in the first round of the Inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The opening round of the 16-team tournament will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The matchup between the Wave and the Trojans is set to tipoff at 10 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can also listen to the action live on the Tulane Sports Network from Learfield on Heaven 106.7 with the Voice of the Green Wave Corey Gloor or streaming on the Tulane Athletics App and The Varsity Network App.
This marks the just the fourth all-time meeting between Tulane and USC with the Green Wave trailing the series 0-3. The two teams have not met on the hardwood since 1938 when the Trojans defeated the Wave 41-24 on December 16 in Los Angeles. Tulane and USC have never played on a neutral court as the first two matchups occurred in New Orleans with the Trojans walking away with the victory both times.
Tulane’s invitation to play in the College Basketball Crown is the program’s 12th appearance in a postseason tournament and its first since playing in the CBI following the 2013-14 campaign. The Green Wave holds an 11-11 record in postseason tournaments. In the Wave’s last postseason appearance Tulane lost 56-55 to Princeton on March 19, 2014, in the first round of the CBI in New Orleans. The last postseason victory for the Green Wave came in the first round of the CIT 84-73 over South Alabama on March 23, 2013.
The Green Wave ranks in the top 50 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (28th – 40.5), blocks per game (36th – 4.5), and free throw percentage (47th – 76.0). Tulane also excelled in three-point percentage defense ranking 57th at 31.3 percent.
USC enters the tournament with a 16-17 overall record finishing 16th in the Big Ten this season. The Trojans rank 24th in the country in field goal percentage connecting at a 48.2 percent clip from the floor.
Four players averaged double figures in scoring for the Trojans led by the duo of Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates III. Claude averaged 16.3 points per game while Yates posted 14.1 per game. Senior Saint Thomas did a bit of everything for USC as he led the team in rebounds, assists, and steals while adding 9.0 points per contest.
With a win over USC, the Green Wave will advance to the second round of the College Basketball Crown to play the winner between Colorado and Villanova. The second-round matchup will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. CT on Thursday at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
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