It certainly has not been an easy road, but the Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team looks to finally be finding its groove consistently.

Head coach Ron Hunter knew he had a tall task facing him entering the 2024-25 season given how youthful his roster was. Without a single senior and several players vying for playing time at the Division I level for the first time, there would be some obstacles to overcome.

Early on, that inexperience hurt them with extended droughts on the offensive side of the ball or miscues at the most inopportune times. It led to some crushing defeats, but also valuable lessons for the team to learn from.

They have certainly learned from early-season woes, as the team has been playing at a high level during American Athletic Conference play.

With a 5-2 record in the league, the Green Wave have already matched the number of victories they had during the entire 2023-24 campaign.

Currently, in fourth place, they will have a chance to cement their status amongst the AAC’s best with a matchup against the Memphis Tigers on Thursday evening.

Tulane will be welcoming the No. 19-ranked team in the nation to Devlin Fieldhouse with a chance to move into a tie for second place with a victory.

Memphis currently holds that spot with a 6-1 record, a half-game ahead of the 6-2 UAB Blazers and 1.5 games ahead of the Green Wave.

The Tigers are entering the contest with a lot of positive momentum, defeating UAB over the weekend, 100-77, to pick up their third win in a row. 

This is a series they have historically dominated, with a record of 62-14 against Tulane. But, Devlin Fieldhouse has become a difficult place for Memphis to play, as they have dropped three games in a row in New Orleans.

What will it take for the Green Wave to make it four victories in a row on their homecourt against the Tigers?

They are going to need to lock in defensively and play at a high level on that end of the court as Memphis is amongst the most efficient offensive teams in the country.

Their 39.5% shooting from 3-point range not only leads the AAC, but is No. 8 in men’s basketball. They also lead the conference in overall field goal percentage (47.3%) and effective field goal percentage (54.3%).

Tulane’s effort on the defensive end has been exceptional this season, as opponents are shooting only 39.4% against them on the year which is 24th in the nation.

Will their elite 3-point defense, as they allow only 29.9% to be made, continue on Thursday night?

If they can keep that up, combined with their new-found offensive production, the Green Wave has the ingredients for a season-defining victory.