Tulane Green Wave Basketball Coach Speaks on Growth of Young Players
The Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team currently sits with an 8-8 record after their best start to conference play in years.
After three games of AAC play, the Green Wave have a 2-1 record. That is the best they've done since the 2021-22 season, which saw them finish 10-8 in conference.
Tulane head coach Ron Hunter is excited about the play of his team so far, but is also very excited about the future given how much growth they have already shown.
"I love how we're playing. I do. I think we're getting better every day. We're starting to figure it out. The game is starting to slow down," said Hunter to WGNO-TV in New Orleans.
The Green Wave are preparing for a home showdown with USF on Saturday at 1 p.m., a game the Green Wave hopes will keep them above .500 in American Athletic Confernce play.
Of the players that get regular minutes on the roster, four are freshmen. A couple of them are bottom of the rotation guys, but there are two that have become important parts of the team.
"I've never coached as many young guys in my 35 years. I've just not been able to do that, so I'm enjoying it. I don't know if I've been around a team that I enjoy coaching more," he said.
Kam Williams and Mari Jordan are the two main freshmen on the roster.
Williams has averaged 9.8 points per game wuth 4.3 rebounds and and 1.5 assists with 1.9 steals.
That boost on defense has maybe been more important than anything on offense. He does currently rank third on the team in both points and boards, while leading with steals.
He was a three-star recruit out of high school and was the No. 2 overall player to come out of Louisiana. Keeping their presence as a top landing spot for local kids will continue to be an important part of building consistency in the program.
Jordan, a redshirt freshman, was a transfer from the Georgia Bulldogs. He has been a solid guard that will probably need some time to grow and fill out his 6-foot-8, 185-pound from.
In his first year on the court, he is averaging 7.5 points with 4.1 rebounds per game.
