Tulane Green Wave Star Freshman Recognized for Stellar Play Early This Season
Tulane Green Wave head coach Ron Hunter knew that there would be some struggles in the early going of the 2024-25 season for his squad.
This was by far the youngest team he had ever worked with in his career.
At one point, he had four freshmen on the court together, something he had never previously done.
It was going to occur time and time again throughout the year since there isn’t a single senior on the roster. Hunter is working with virtually an entirely new group of players, relying on transfers and high school commits after a tough 2023-24 campaign.
Some of those expected struggles with a young team have occurred over the first 11 games of the season.
Tulane has blown a few double-digit leads, including an inexplicable 16-point meltdown in the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys in Cancun. They lost a buy-game to the Southeastern Louisiana Lions and a ferocious comeback against the New Orleans Privateers, overcoming a 12-point deficit with two minutes remaining, went awry in overtime.
There is a lot of talent for Hunter to work with as things should improve as they gain experience while building up chemistry and cohesion, so given the youthfulness of the roster, the future is certainly bright for the Green Wave.
One of the players fans have to be the most excited about is freshman wing Kam Williams.
A local product out of Lafayette, Louisiana, he quickly made an impression with the coaching staff. Where he surprised the most was on the defensive end, quickly becoming a two-way contributor for the team.
His performance has not gone unrecognized as Jeff Borzello of ESPN highlighted Williams as one of the 10-best freshman stars at a mid-major school this year.
“His counting stats on the offensive end aren't overwhelming, but Williams is contributing at both ends of the floor -- and his 6-foot-8 size on the wing is worth nothing. He's putting up 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals and shooting nearly 40% from 3. He has season highs of 19 points against New Orleans and SE Louisiana, has at least eight rebounds on three occasions and at least three steals on five occasions.”
Williams is someone Hunter has already gained a lot of trust in, and he has been inserted into the starting lineup for the past six games.
Even before that, he was playing starter-level minutes; in his final three games coming off the bench, he received at least 30 minutes of playing time in each.
The intangibles and ability to make an impact without having to have the ball in his hands are truly impressive. Freshmen normally take some time to find their groove at the next level, but he has hit the ground running.
Only scratching the surface of his potential, Williams is already top four on the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
He takes care of the ball and doesn’t commit fouls, making a major impact on both ends.
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.