Tulane Welcomes Southern for an 11:30 a.m. Tipoff on Saturday

TULANE VS. SOUTHERN NOTES

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, as it welcomes the Southern University Jaguars. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m. inside the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

The Green Wave's matchup with the Jaguars will be aired live on ESPN+. Fans can watch the game live by CLICKING HERE. Fans also can listen to the game live on the radio by tuning into 104.1 The Spot or by CLICKING HERE. Tulane's "Voice of the Green Wave" Corey Gloor will call the action live.

STARTING FIVE
1. Head coach Ron Hunter begins his third season in Uptown (28th season overall) where he will look to build on the team's 2020 Quarterfinal appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Green Wave opened their 2021-22 campaign on a high note, as it defeated Southeastern 70-67.
2. This season, Hunter's staff welcomes back six letterwinners, six newcomers and three starters, including preseason All-American Athletic Conference honoree Jaylen Forbes. Forbes, who became Tulane's first all-conference selection since Melvin Frazier Jr. in 2018, averaged 16.4 points per game a year ago – a figure that ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference last season.
3. The Green Wave will look to start 2-0 for the third straight season. Tulane's win over Southeastern marked the third straight year it had won its regular season opener.
4. The Green Wave won the turnover battle in their 2021-22 season opener against Southeastern. During the 2021-22 campaign, Tulane won the turnover battle in 19 of its 23 contests last season while also forcing opponents into at least 15 mishaps on 11 occasions. During the 2019-20 campaign, the Green Wave committed equal or fewer turnovers than its opponents in 28 of 30 contests while ranking in the top 15 nationally in turnover margin (+4.3).
5. In two exhibition contests, Tulane posted back-to-back preseason wins against ULM (92-61) and Louisiana College (64-56).

THE SERIES
•   Tulane's matchup with Southern will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Green Wave hold an 11-1 all-time series lead. Tulane also has claimed each of the last three matchups.

THE OPPONENT - SOUTHERN
•   Southern enters the game under the direction of fourth-year head coach Sean Woods. The Jaguars feature 10 returning letterwinners, including Preseason Second Team All-SWAC honoree Jayden Saddler.
•   Southern also welcomes in 10 newcomers. In its last appearance, Southern went toe-to-toe with the University of Louisville before falling 72-60 on the road.
•   Redshirt junior guard Brion Whitley led the team with 17 points against the Cardinals.

WELCOME TO UPTOWN
•    Tulane had three newcomers make their respective debuts on Tuesday night against Southeastern, as guards DeVon Baker, Scott Spencer and Jalen Cook all made appearances against their in-state foes.
•    The three new players combined for 40 points and helped propel the Green Wave to the win over Southeastern.
•     Cook led the way with 28 points. His 28 points are tied for the American Athletic Conference's highest scoring output in a single game this season.

GLASS CLEANER
•    Redshirt freshman Tylan Pope came off the bench in the Green Wave's season opener against Southeastern and made a major impact, as he pulled down 13 rebounds. His 13 rebounds are tied for the American Athletic Conference's second-highest rebounding effort this year.

LAST TIME OUT
The Tulane University men's basketball team won its 2021-2022 season opener on Tuesday, as it defeated Southeastern Louisiana University, 70-67 inside at the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

Newcomer Jalen Cook led the team in scoring as he poured in a career-high 28 points. Seventeen of Cook's 28 points came in the first half alone. Cook's scoring performance smashed his previous high of 11.

Jaylen Forbes, Tylan Pope and DeVon Baker also finished in double figures, as they netted 11, 11 and 10 points, respectively. Forbes' double-digit performance was the 20th of his career. Baker also hit a milestone performance, as he scored in double figures for the 60th time in his collegiate career.

Tulane outshot Southeastern 44-31 percent and held a 41-35 rebounding advantage on the glass. Pope paced the Green Wave on the glass as he tied a career high with 13 rebounds.

THE PRESEASON
In two exhibition contests, Tulane posted back-to-back preseason wins against ULM (92-61) and Louisiana College (64-56).

Tulane's defense proved ready for the season in its win against Louisiana College, landing 18 points out of 19 forced turnovers. Sion James and Forbes both finished in double-digit scoring, as they poured in 16 and 11 points, respectively.

In the Green Wave's first exhibition matchup against ULM, Forbes showcased his All-AAC form as he scored 24 points. Sophomore Kevin Cross and freshman Jalen Cook also finished in double figures, as they netted 20 and 12 points, respectively.

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TICKETS
Tickets for the 2021-22 season 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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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 at NolaBuilt.com

Tulane Welcomes Southern for an 11:30 a.m. Tipoff on Saturday

Players Mentioned

DeVon Baker

Jalen Cook

Kevin Cross

Jaylen Forbes

Sion James

Tylan Pope

Scott Spencer

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