With its loss at Wichita State on Saturday, Tulane continued its conference-long pattern of losing on the road to the league's upper-division teams while beating everyone else. If Las Vegas made odds today for every league game the Wave had played, it would be 9-0 in games it was favored and 0-5 in games it was the underdog. For anyone pointing out the Temple loss and where the Owls are now, that was an upper echelon AAC team when Jamal Mashburn, then the nation's second-leading scorer, was playing.
Up next are two games where Tulane will be favored--home to cellar dweller Charlotte and at slumping Tulsa. Nothing is guaranteed, and the Wave was incredibly fortunate to win at UTSA earlier, but this team should be 11-5 heading into the final week, when it will play at ECU as an underdog and host UAB as an underdog. I believe going 11-7 would earn Tulane the No, 4 seed in the AAC tournament, but it's not a sure thing. East Carolina easily could be 10-7 if it beats the Wave, with one game left at FAU. Wichita State could finish 11-7, too, but that would require the Shockers to beat UAB at home and North Texas on the road, which despite their six-game streak appears very unlikely. Both Wichita State and ECU would win tiebreakers against Tulane at 11-7 (Wichita State based on the head-to-head win and ECU based on beating UAB and Wichita State), so the key for Tulane is to get to 12-6 and take other results out of play. Charlotte and Tulsa are must wins. I do not expect to Tulane to win at ECU, but a win there would be huge. I do expect Tulane to beat UAB at home, but it would be the first win all year against a team at that level.
Ron Hunter, Rowan Brumbaugh and Gregg Glenn spoke before practice today.
HUNTER
On if he was considering lineup change with Mari Jordan starting, as he intimated after Wichita State game:
"I am going to give myself another day to think about it. I never try to overreact after a game, so I look at the big picture of everything. We'll see. If I did it, it would be something to either ignite us early or ignite a player, so I haven't really decided which way I'm going to go with that, but the minutes won't change regardless of what I do."
On what need to clean up from Wichita State loss:
"Really on the road we're just such a different team than we are at home. That's what happens when you are a young team. We've got to play more consistent basketball when we get on the road like we do here. We got off to a bad start and boy we took the lead at halftime. We got off to another slow start and then tried to fight back. That's what happens whether you're a young NBA player or a college player. When you get home you feel comfortable and play a lot better. We've got to take that same energy on the road."
On why he thinks they can clean it up:
"Because everything we've asked them to do, they've gotten better, whether it's defense, offense, taking care of the basketball. Every single aspect of the game we've asked them to, they've gotten better at. What's great about the conference tournament is it's on a neutral floor. You're not playing at Wichita Stare or Memphis or something like that. I'm excited because everything we've put ahead of them, they've done."
On Brumbaugh:
"I know CJ Haggerty gets a lot of credit, but Rowan by far outside of him is the best point guard in this league, a true point guard. He's playing really well on both sides--offensively and defensively. There are a lot of good players, but I think this kid is a player-of-the-year candidate. He's having that type of year.. He's a typical what I call a Tulane player, where he fits in the community, is a selfless kind of kid and he just continues to get better. A lot of it is just his confidence in being able to play and having the freedom to play, and that's what I'm giving him."
On his ability to score in all areas:
"He's worked on that from day 1. There has never been a point where it's hey, you need to get in the gym and get better. Sometimes we have to pull him away from himself and say enjoy it and relax a little bit. He's doing great. I can't wait until after the season when Rowan takes me fishing. I've never fished in my life before, and when I recruited him we talked about that. He promised me he's going to take me fishing. Can you imagine me sitting for three or four hours waiting on a fish. I think they eat worms, bread, what is it? I've never fished in my life. He's got a (fishing) place, so Rowan's going to take me fishing for the first time in my life."
On Charlotte the second time:
"They've had a week off. It seems like it's been six months since we played them. I think by now both teams are probably a little different. They won their last game, so they are coming in with confidence, but we've got to get back to being one of the top 20 teams defensively in the country, and we didn't do that at Wichita State. No blocked shots, guys were driving all over the place, so that's been our whole focus the last day or so."
On being good at home:
"I think this is a great home environment. When I took the job here it was the first thing I talked about it, and it has developed to that. This is just a hard place to play. People don't want to come here and play. It used to be coaches always wanted to come to Tulane and get a win, and we did. It's not just the players. It's the environment. This is a hard place to play."
On Kam Williams needing to be more aggressive:
"That's the next part of his development. He's still a teenager. He just played against eight seniors that were 24 or 25 years old. The next part of his development is being able to find different ways of being able to score."
BRUMBAUGH
On what went wrong at Wichita State:
"We played selfish. They made us play one-on-one basketball. They played deep drop coverage and they took away shooters. The crowd and the environment sped us up. Those two things."
On five assists as a team:
"When we have low assists, we usually don't play well. When we have high assists, we usually win games."
On his mindset:
"I just want to win, so if the game's calling me for to make shots then I've got to do that. My mindset's just all winning."
On his game:
"I used to be more kind of flashy, but at the end of the day the only day that will fulfill you is winning on a team like this, not your individual stats. We can't worry about next year or what anybody's saying in our ear. We just have to take it game by game and understand we have a chance to make the tournament if we really lock in and take it game by game and possession by possession."
On Gregg Glenn's game at Wichita State:
"It helps a lot. In certain games guys are going to be hot because that's what the defense gives us. They played a deep drop. They took away our shooters, so Gregg did what he had to do. We just have to take advantage of what the defense gives us."
On home advantage:
"The crowd helps a lot. I hope more students can start coming to the games. Everywhere we go it's always packed, but then here it's not that many students. Its kind of weird. I'd just say being at home, being comfortable in our gym helps a lot. Our defense throws them off because not many teams play our matchup man-to-man. It's really bizarre to see sometimes even when you scout it."
On why he plays with confidence:
"My confidence is in Jesus Christ. I have the lord's peach in me always, so that's where the confidence comes from."
GLENN
On his big game at Wichita State:
"I felt really comfortable. I'm just taking it day by day. I got fouled a lot that game and they didn't call it, but at the end of the day you've just got to keep playing."
On tough atmosphere at Wichita State:
'I actually love that type of atmosphere. It gets my hyped for games."
On importance of finishing in top four:
"It's really important for us to be in the top four so we can know what we've got to do for the first game we go into and do what we do."
Up next are two games where Tulane will be favored--home to cellar dweller Charlotte and at slumping Tulsa. Nothing is guaranteed, and the Wave was incredibly fortunate to win at UTSA earlier, but this team should be 11-5 heading into the final week, when it will play at ECU as an underdog and host UAB as an underdog. I believe going 11-7 would earn Tulane the No, 4 seed in the AAC tournament, but it's not a sure thing. East Carolina easily could be 10-7 if it beats the Wave, with one game left at FAU. Wichita State could finish 11-7, too, but that would require the Shockers to beat UAB at home and North Texas on the road, which despite their six-game streak appears very unlikely. Both Wichita State and ECU would win tiebreakers against Tulane at 11-7 (Wichita State based on the head-to-head win and ECU based on beating UAB and Wichita State), so the key for Tulane is to get to 12-6 and take other results out of play. Charlotte and Tulsa are must wins. I do not expect to Tulane to win at ECU, but a win there would be huge. I do expect Tulane to beat UAB at home, but it would be the first win all year against a team at that level.
Ron Hunter, Rowan Brumbaugh and Gregg Glenn spoke before practice today.
HUNTER
On if he was considering lineup change with Mari Jordan starting, as he intimated after Wichita State game:
"I am going to give myself another day to think about it. I never try to overreact after a game, so I look at the big picture of everything. We'll see. If I did it, it would be something to either ignite us early or ignite a player, so I haven't really decided which way I'm going to go with that, but the minutes won't change regardless of what I do."
On what need to clean up from Wichita State loss:
"Really on the road we're just such a different team than we are at home. That's what happens when you are a young team. We've got to play more consistent basketball when we get on the road like we do here. We got off to a bad start and boy we took the lead at halftime. We got off to another slow start and then tried to fight back. That's what happens whether you're a young NBA player or a college player. When you get home you feel comfortable and play a lot better. We've got to take that same energy on the road."
On why he thinks they can clean it up:
"Because everything we've asked them to do, they've gotten better, whether it's defense, offense, taking care of the basketball. Every single aspect of the game we've asked them to, they've gotten better at. What's great about the conference tournament is it's on a neutral floor. You're not playing at Wichita Stare or Memphis or something like that. I'm excited because everything we've put ahead of them, they've done."
On Brumbaugh:
"I know CJ Haggerty gets a lot of credit, but Rowan by far outside of him is the best point guard in this league, a true point guard. He's playing really well on both sides--offensively and defensively. There are a lot of good players, but I think this kid is a player-of-the-year candidate. He's having that type of year.. He's a typical what I call a Tulane player, where he fits in the community, is a selfless kind of kid and he just continues to get better. A lot of it is just his confidence in being able to play and having the freedom to play, and that's what I'm giving him."
On his ability to score in all areas:
"He's worked on that from day 1. There has never been a point where it's hey, you need to get in the gym and get better. Sometimes we have to pull him away from himself and say enjoy it and relax a little bit. He's doing great. I can't wait until after the season when Rowan takes me fishing. I've never fished in my life before, and when I recruited him we talked about that. He promised me he's going to take me fishing. Can you imagine me sitting for three or four hours waiting on a fish. I think they eat worms, bread, what is it? I've never fished in my life. He's got a (fishing) place, so Rowan's going to take me fishing for the first time in my life."
On Charlotte the second time:
"They've had a week off. It seems like it's been six months since we played them. I think by now both teams are probably a little different. They won their last game, so they are coming in with confidence, but we've got to get back to being one of the top 20 teams defensively in the country, and we didn't do that at Wichita State. No blocked shots, guys were driving all over the place, so that's been our whole focus the last day or so."
On being good at home:
"I think this is a great home environment. When I took the job here it was the first thing I talked about it, and it has developed to that. This is just a hard place to play. People don't want to come here and play. It used to be coaches always wanted to come to Tulane and get a win, and we did. It's not just the players. It's the environment. This is a hard place to play."
On Kam Williams needing to be more aggressive:
"That's the next part of his development. He's still a teenager. He just played against eight seniors that were 24 or 25 years old. The next part of his development is being able to find different ways of being able to score."
BRUMBAUGH
On what went wrong at Wichita State:
"We played selfish. They made us play one-on-one basketball. They played deep drop coverage and they took away shooters. The crowd and the environment sped us up. Those two things."
On five assists as a team:
"When we have low assists, we usually don't play well. When we have high assists, we usually win games."
On his mindset:
"I just want to win, so if the game's calling me for to make shots then I've got to do that. My mindset's just all winning."
On his game:
"I used to be more kind of flashy, but at the end of the day the only day that will fulfill you is winning on a team like this, not your individual stats. We can't worry about next year or what anybody's saying in our ear. We just have to take it game by game and understand we have a chance to make the tournament if we really lock in and take it game by game and possession by possession."
On Gregg Glenn's game at Wichita State:
"It helps a lot. In certain games guys are going to be hot because that's what the defense gives us. They played a deep drop. They took away our shooters, so Gregg did what he had to do. We just have to take advantage of what the defense gives us."
On home advantage:
"The crowd helps a lot. I hope more students can start coming to the games. Everywhere we go it's always packed, but then here it's not that many students. Its kind of weird. I'd just say being at home, being comfortable in our gym helps a lot. Our defense throws them off because not many teams play our matchup man-to-man. It's really bizarre to see sometimes even when you scout it."
On why he plays with confidence:
"My confidence is in Jesus Christ. I have the lord's peach in me always, so that's where the confidence comes from."
GLENN
On his big game at Wichita State:
"I felt really comfortable. I'm just taking it day by day. I got fouled a lot that game and they didn't call it, but at the end of the day you've just got to keep playing."
On tough atmosphere at Wichita State:
'I actually love that type of atmosphere. It gets my hyped for games."
On importance of finishing in top four:
"It's really important for us to be in the top four so we can know what we've got to do for the first game we go into and do what we do."