Tulane University
Alcorn State University
Tulane Welcomes Alcorn State on Saturday
Dec 3, 2021 | Men's Basketball
Tulane vs. Alcorn State - Game Notes
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT, as it plays host to Alcorn State.
The Green Wave's matchup with Alcorn State 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. The Tulane University men's basketball team returns home for the first time in 21 days where it will play five of its next six games at the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.
2. The Green Wave enters their matchup with Alcorn State in the hopes rebounding from a hard-fought 81-77 setback at the College of Charleston.
3. Head coach Ron Hunter is in his third season in Uptown (28th season overall) and will look to build on the team's 2020 Quarterfinal appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship.
4. This season, Hunter's staff welcomes back six letterwinners, six newcomers and three starters, including preseason All-American Athletic Conference honoree Jaylen Forbes. Forbes is one of three players, averaging 10 double figures. Freshman Jalen Cook leads the team with 20.7 points per game - a figure that ranks second in the American Athletic Conference. As a team, Tulane is averaging 70.2 points per game and connecting at a 43.0 percent clip.
5. The Green Wave have won the turnover battle in six of their seven games this season. 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).
THE SERIES
• Tulane's matchup with the Alcorn State will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams.
• The two teams last met in 2019 with the Green Wave picking up a 68-57 win over the Braves.
• Green Wave head coach Ron Hunter is 1-3 all-time against Alcorn State, but is 1-0 versus ASU since coming to Tulane.
THE OPPONENT - ALCORN STATE
• The Braves enter their matchup with Tulane after it picked up a four-point win (61-57) at Milwaukee.
• Alcorn State's win over Milwaukee was its first victory of the season.
• The Braves are in the midst of a 16-game road trip to open the season. Alcorn State will not play a home game until its matchup with Texas Southern on Jan. 15.
• Head coach Landon Bussie is in his second year on the bench for the Braves. Prior to his arrival at Alcorn State, Bussie spent the last six seasons at Prairie View A&M where he served as an assistant coach.
• Alcorn State was picked to finish seventh in the SWAC Preseason Poll.
LAST TIME OUT: Tulane Falls at College of Charleston
• The Tulane University men's basketball team staged a furious late second-half rally, but it was not enough, as the Green Wave dropped an 81-77 decision against the College of Charleston.
• Trailing by 12 points with 2:18 to go in the game, Tulane went on an 11-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the Cougars' lead to one with 20 seconds remaining.
• Following a front-end miss of a one-and-one by College of Charleston's Dimitrius Underwood, the Green Wave had the ball in their hands with a chance to take the lead for the first time since the 5:17 mark of the first half.
• Sophomore guard Jaylen Forbes raced the ball up the floor, but his jumper inside the paint fell just short. After a pair of College of Charleston free throws, Tulane had one last chance to tie the game, but were unable to do so in the closing seconds, as the Cougars secured the win.
• Tulane had four players score in double figures with Forbes leading the way with 20 points. The Mississippi native finished in double figures for the sixth time this season. Joining Forbes in double figures were teammates Jalen Cook, Sion James and Jadan Coleman, as they finished the game with 18, 11 and 11 points, respectively.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Head coach Ron Hunter needs just one more win to secure his 470th career win.
• Sophomore Jaylen Forbes needs 15 points to reach 500 points at Tulane.
• Sophomore Kevin Cross needs 35 points to reach 500 for his career. He also needs 37 rebounds for 300 in his career.
• Senior Scott Spencer needs 66 points for 500 in his career.
• Senior DeVon Baker needs 56 points to reach 1,200 in his career.
COOK MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT
• Freshman Jalen Cook has been named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll twice this season, earning a spot on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
• Cook currently ranks second in the American Athletic Conference with 20.7 points per game.
• Most recently, Cook was selected to the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship All-Tournament Team.
FORBES' THE FLAMETHROWER
• Sophomore guard Jaylen Forbes poured in a season-high 30 points in the Green Wave's 90-87 win over Drexel.
• Forbes' 30-point effort is tied for the league's single highest scoring output this season.
• Through games of Dec. 3, Forbes is one of only three players in the American to score 30 points or more this season.
• In his last outing against the College of Charleston, Forbes scored 20 points.
• Last season, he poured in a career-high 37 points on 9-of-15 shooting and made his first seven attempts from 3-point range while going 12-of-15 at the free throw line at Cincinnati on Feb. 26, 2021. The Florence, Mississippi, native's 37 points are the most by a Green Wave player in a regulation game since Jerald Honeycutt had 38 against Xavier on Jan. 16, 1997.
• His seven treys are tied for the second most in a single game in program history with Cameron Reynolds being the last to make seven against Alcorn State in November 2017.
A CALL TO THE HALL
• Tulane University men's basketball associate head coach Ray McCallum was named to the 2022 Men's Induction class this week by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
• McCallum, who has served as the Green Wave's associate head coach since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, received the Hall of Fame nod after he posted a standout career during his time as a high school player, a collegiate student-athlete and his contributions as a head coach.
UP NEXT
• Tulane returns home on Tuesday where it will the College of Charleston for its second meeting with the Cougars in the last week. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be aired live on ESPN+.
