Tulane University
SMU
Men's Basketball Searches for Season Split Against SMU
Feb 18, 2020 | Men's Basketball
| GAME 26: TULANE Green Wave (10-15, 2-11 AAC) vs. SMU Mustangs (18-6, 8-4 AAC) |
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| When: | Wednesday, February 19, 2020 | 7 p.m. (CT) |
| Where: | New Orleans | Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse |
| Watch: | WatchESPN |
| Commentators: | Bob Licht (Play-By-Play) and Victor Howell (Color) |
| Radio: | 1280 AM New Orleans |
| Radio Talent: | Andrew Allegretta (Play-By-Play) |
| Live Scoring: | Statbroadcast |
| Notes: | Tulane | SMU | American Athletic Conference |
| Tickets: | Purchase Online |
| Social Media: | @GreenWaveMBB | #RollWave |
The game will be broadcast on the WatchESPN app, as Bob Licht calls play-by-play action and Victor Howell delivers color analysis.
STARTING FIVE
1. Tulane looks to snap a four-game skid in the all-time series against SMU and earn an American Athletic Conference regular-season series split after the Mustangs earned an 82-67 win in Dallas on February 1.
2. Wednesday's game features two of The American's top five scorers this season, as Tulane junior Teshaun Hightower (15.2 PPG) and SMU's Kendric Davis (15.7 PPG) rank fourth and third, respectively.
3. The Green Wave lead the conference in steals per game (8.2) turnovers per game (11.4), turnover margin (+4.5) and fewest fouls committed per game (15.1). The Green Wave rank in the top 100 nationally in each of those categories, while their average beyond the arc is the only one that ranks outside the top 50.
4. Last time out, Tulane dropped an 82-57 road contest at Wichita State on Sunday afternoon. Christion Thompson led three Green Wave scorers in double-figures with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Jordan Walker scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half. Teshaun Hightower chipped in 10 points, four assists and three steals. Dexter Dennis guided the Shockers with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Tyson Etienne added 20 more points. In the second half, Tulane outscored Wichita State, 37-32, and shot a respectable 13-for-28 (.464) from the field while committing just one turnover.
5. Tulane has committed fewer or an equal number of turnovers to its opponent in 24 of its 25 games this season. The Green Wave Wave are forcing teams into 15.8 turnovers per game and own a +4.5 turnover margin which ranks 10th nationally.
SCOUTING SMU
• The Mustangs (18-6, 8-4 AAC) enter Wednesday's contest with wins in three of their last four, including a 73-72 overtime win at home over 20th-ranked Houston on Saturday.
• SMU owns a 14-1 overall record at home this season, but has just a 4-5 mark in road games.
• The Ponies rank first in the conference in scoring offense (75.9), field goal percentage (.465), 3-point field goal percentage (.351), free throw percentage (.770) and assists per game (16.5) this season.
• SMU is led by sophomore Kendric Davis who ranks first in The American in assists per game (7.3) and third in scoring (15.7), while Isaiah Mike ranks fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.409) and Tyson Jolly is eighth (.394).
MARDI GRAS UNIFORMS
For the third straight season, Tulane will don its season Mardi Gras-themed uniforms. The Green Wave wore the uniforms on Feb. 12 against Temple and will wear them again Wednesday night against SMU, as well as Fat Tuesday, February 25, at Tulsa.
BY THE NUMBERS
• 10 – Tulane has recorded 10 or more steals in eight games this season. The Green Wave own a 5-3 record in those contests.
• 33 – Teshaun Hightower scored 33 points against Towson on Dec. 21 in Washington, D.C., the most points scored in a single game by any player in The American this season.
• 199 – Tulane has made at least one 3-point field goal in 199 consecutive games. The last time the Green Wave failed to do so came on Jan. 16, 2014 at home against Louisiana Tech when they went 0-for-14 from outside.
MINUTES MONSTERS
• Playing primarily with an eight-man rotation, Tulane's starters are seeing more court time than any team in The American Athletic Conference this season.
• K.J. Lawson (35.9), Christion Thompson (33.7) and Teshaun Hightower (33.7) currently and rank first, fifth and sixth among all players in The American in minutes played.
HUNTER WINS NO. 450
• It took just five wins and six games for first-year head coach Ron Hunter to reach a new milestone, as he earned his 450th career win on November 24 against Utah at the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
• In his 26th season as a head coach, Hunter ranks 35th nationally among active NCAA Division I head coaches and third in the American Athletic Conference behind only Houston's Kelvin Sampson (619) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (508).
SEASONED COACHING STAFF
• Head coach Ron Hunter has assembled a veteran coaching staff featuring two former NCAA Division I head coaches - Ray McCallum (Ball State - 1993-2000; Houston 2000-04; Detroit Mercy - 2008-16) and Kevin Johnson (Centenary - 1999-2005), as well as Claude Pardue.
• The Green Wave are one of just nine schools nationally to have three of its four coaches currently or previously holding head-coaching titles, along with Pittsburgh (4), Iowa (4), Creighton (3), Michigan State (3), Minnesota (3), Oklahoma State (3), South Carolina (3) and Washington (3).
TULANE INKS TWO EARLY SIGNEES
• Head coach Ron Hunter received two NLI's in the NCAA's Early Signing Period from Jadan Coleman (Madison, Ala.) and Sion James (Atlanta, Ga.) as part of his first signing class.
• A 6'4 wing player, Coleman plays at Bob Jones High School. On the AAU trail, he averaged 9.7 points per game for the Alabama Fusion on the 2019 Nike EYBL circuit. He made 34 3-pointers in 13 games and set the EYBL record with 10 3-pointers made in a 36-point outburst against Team United.
• A 6'5 guard from Lanier High School, James earned Region 8 Class 6A Player of the Year honors and received 2019 North Atlanta boys' all-state first team honors and all-county recognition after averaging 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game as a junior. He led the Longhorns to the Class 6A title and was a 2019 Gwinnett County All-Metro Second Team pick while being selected to the 2019 North Georgia All-Star Basketball Classic.
All sections are available for purchase so you can customize your viewing experience from your favorite seating location. Discounts are also available for Tulane faculty and staff.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For behind-the-scenes coverage, follow Tulane men's basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
