Following a heart wrenching overtime loss to Wichita State in the final game of the regular season, the Green Wave men’s basketball team will open the American Athletic Conference tournament by taking on fifth seeded University of Memphis Tigers (19-12), desperately hoping for an upset win.

Going in as the 12th seed, Tulane is not expected to advance beyond the first round of the conference tournament. Sophomore guard Caleb Daniels, however, stands a chance at leading the team to victory.

Daniels leads the team in points per game and steals per game while taking the second spots for both assists and rebounds per game. Even in the final game of the unimpressive season, Daniels put up 36 points, topping his team-leading average by nearly 20 points.

Junior forward Semir Sehic, who leads the team in rebounds per game and puts up the second most points per game, could also play a role in pushing the Green Wave towards victory.

These two team leaders, however, will need enormous performances from their supporting cast to take down Memphis, a team that averages 81.3 points per game compared to Tulane’s average of  67.1 points per game.

While the Green Wave was able to keep the game close when the Tigers came to town in January (83-79), it suffered a tremendous loss on the Tigers home court in February, losing the game 102-76.

In order to prevent another blowout, the team will have to play lockdown defense on Memphis’ senior guard Jeremiah Martin, who leads his team in points per game, steals per game and assists per game. Though an underdog win is not likely, it is certainly possible.

Men’s basketball will open the AAC tournament on Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. in Memphis. Tune in to ESPNU at 2 p.m. for the game.