Tulane Green Wave Men’s Team Has the Talent To Shock Basketball World
Expectations are not very high for the Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team heading into the 2024-25 season.
Coaches in the American Athletic Conference voted on them to finish in a tie for 11th place with the UTSA Roadrunners in the 13-team league. That isn’t too much of a shock given the program’s track record.
The 2022-23 campaign, when they went 20-11, was the last time they finished with a record above the .500 mark and was the first time since 2012-13. In 2013-14, they finished 17-17.
As Ron Hunter enters his sixth season at the helm, he is hoping that things will start to turn. He likes how his roster has come together, as they addressed a major need in the offseason at the point guard spot.
Transfer Rowan Brumbaugh, who comes from the Georgetown Hoyas, and freshman KJ Greene out of Atlanta will help immensely. With two true ball-handlers and playmakers on the roster, the offense will flow smoothly.
It certainly helps to have table setters, but there have to be guys for them to get the ball to as well. Despite their underwhelming projections, the Green Wave isn’t lacking for high-end talent.
Gregg Glenn, one of the few holdovers from last season, scored a team-high 20 points in their 86-66 exhibition victory over Spring Hill College. 55 out of the other 66 points scored were recorded by newcomers.
A lot of those players were highly touted high school recruits that Hunter now hopes can gel and become a strong unit at Tulane. Glenn was the No. 90 ranked prospect when he signed with the Michigan Wolverines ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Mari Jordan is a 6’5” guard who transferred into the program from the Georgia Bulldogs after battling several nagging injuries last season. He was the No. 84 ranked national prospect by ESPN coming out of high school.
Kaleb Banks, who comes to the Green Wave from the Indiana Hoosiers, is a 6’8” forward who was top 100 in both 247Sports and ESPN; No. 84 and 78 respectively. He is hoping to find more playing time than the previous two seasons in Bloomington.
Along with Greene, who was No. 90 in his class, Hunter is excited about 6’7” freshman wing Kam Williams, who was a four-star recruit out of Lafayette Christian Academy. Brumbaugh was the most highly decorated, as he was No. 72 in 2023.
This is a roster full of talented players. The question will be whether or not Hunter can coach them up and have them prepared to hit the ground running in the early going as his scheme, at least his matchup defense combining man and zone principles, is notoriously difficult to pick up.
If they can figure things out on that end of the court early on, they are going to blow expectations out of the water.
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.