Men’s basketball looks forward to AAC tournament

Jake Blancher, Contributor

The Tulane men’s basketball team is currently 9-9, coming off of a heartbreaking 84-81 loss to the University of Central Florida, continuing their struggle in conference games.  

Jaylen Forbes attempts a layup. (PARKER WATERS)
Gabe Watson attempts a three-point shot (PARKER_WATERS)

Despite jumping to an early Tulane 8-0 lead punctuated by a devastating Kevin Cross dunk, UCF pulled ahead in the second half, leading by as much as 11. Sophomore Jaylen Forbes had a tremendous game, recording five steals and scoring 30 including a 3-pointer with seconds remaining, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Green Wave to overcome the deficit. 

Concerning in-conference play, Tulane’s men’s basketball team is currently 4-9 with four games remaining, hoping to better their seeding before the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament starts on March 11. Meanwhile they boast an undefeated 5-0 in games out of conference.

Alabama transfer and four-star sophomore shooting guard Forbes currently leads the Green Wave in both points and rebounds, recording 16.3 and 5.2 per game respectively. Redshirt junior Jordan “Jelly” Walker, a crafty two-way point guard, is currently leading the team in assists, with 4.4 per game, and steals, with 1.5 per game. He is also the team’s second leading scorer, recording 12.8 points per game on average.

With no seniors on the squad, the Green Wave are a young team that competes with boundless energy and athleticism, providing second year head coach Ron Hunter with a potent foundation. One needs to look no further than freshman guard Sion James, recruited from Buford, Georgia, to appreciate the skill and potential Tulane men’s basketball brings to the court each game.

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