Tulane Green Wave Head Coach Has Major Player Comp for Current Guard
It is easy to imagine that Tulane Green Wave head coach Ron Hunter was feeling all sorts of emotions heading into the 2024-25 season.
Coming off their fourth losing campaign in five with him at the helm, there is a bit of pressure to start showing some improvement on the court. Uncertainty was certainly something he felt as well, as this is the youngest team he has ever coached.
In the season opener, a 76-42 victory over the Louisiana Christian Wildcats, an NAIA team, he did something for the first time in his career. Four freshmen were on the court together.
That is going to happen often this year, as the Green Wave don’t have a single senior on their roster. With only two players even returning from last season’s squad, he is also integrating nearly an entirely new roster into the program.
It will take some time for things to click efficiently. Hunter’s scheme is a complex matchup defense that combines zone and man principles and takes time to learn.
Luckily for him, he does have one player, Asher Woods, who has been incredible when it comes to teaching the young guys and emerging as a leader. He is confident he can help make an impact with more than just his words, too.
“I think I can impact winning at a very high level, whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s making shots or whether it’s playing defense and guarding the other team’s best player,” Woods said, via Guerry Smith of NOLA.com. “I’m not trying to fill anybody’s shoes because I’m just trying to be who I am and come in every day and win the day.”
The junior guard, who transferred into the program originally from the VMI Keydets ahead of his sophomore season, will be relied upon heavily as an extension of the coaching staff. In practice and during games, he is going to play a part in ensuring his teammates are in the right positions to succeed.
Hunter knows that he has a special player in Woods, as he gave him an incredible compliment when speaking about his abilities and comparing him to a former Green Wave player.
“We hope Asher makes a big jump,” Hunter said. “There are probably more talented guys than him, but his basketball IQ’s off the charts. He’s our Sion (James) now in communication, leadership and those things. We’re expecting a big year from Asher.”
Sion James stepped up last season for the team, taking on the point guard role despite it being foreign to him. He averaged 14 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks in 36.7 minutes per game, which led the American Athletic Conference.
His efficiency was excellent, as he made 51.4 percent of his shots overall and 38.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. 68.3 percent from the foul line leaves a little something to be desired, but that didn’t stop him from making a huge jump in competition for his senior season.
James is now a member of the Duke Blue Devils, landing with the Blue Blood from the transfer portal.
Woods receiving that kind of praise and comparison from Hunter shows just how talented of a player the coaching staff thinks he is and how much they believe in him making an impact this year.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.