Southern @ Tulane preview
Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse
Last Meeting ( Dec 7, 2016 ) Southern 75, Tulane 84
Tulane tips off early on Wednesday when the Green Wave host Southern on Education Day. The lunch-time start will feature more than 800 students, educators and staff from local schools.
The crowd figures to be given a treat as Tulane enters the game averaging 78.4 points per game and faces a Southern team that gives up 80.6. Including the preseason, the Green Wave has scored at least 80 points seven times in 10 games while being held below 70 just twice. The backcourt duo of junior Melvin Frazier and senior Cameron Reynolds lead the potent attack, averaging 19.9 and 17.0 points, respectively. The five Tulane starters - including Jordan Cornish, Ray Ona Embo and Blake Paul - combine to average 58.3 points a game.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN3
ABOUT SOUTHERN (2-5): A preseason pick to challenge for the SWAC crown, the Jaguars opened the season with five consecutive losses - including one against top-ranked Duke on Nov. 17. The Jaguars are coming off a season-high 92 points, but have reached the 70-point plateau just twice in seven games. Senior forward Jared Sam, who averages a team-high 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds, and junior guard Eddie Reese - 7.9 points and 2.7 assists per game - lead the Southern offense.
ABOUT TULANE (6-2): The Green Wave like to move the ball around and get everyone involved in the offense. Three times this season, Tulane has registered 20 or more assists in a game - sporting a 3-0 record in those games - with a season high of 21 on Nov. 10 against LIU Brooklyn. As a team, the Green Wave average 16.8 assists and have three players with more than - Reynolds, Frazier, Ona Embo and Cornish, who leads the team with 27.
TIP-INS
1. The Green Wave and Southern are meeting for the eighth consecutive season and 11th time overall. Tulane leads the all-time series 9-1.
2. Tulane sophomore F Samir Sehic has made an impact as the sixth man, averaging 12.1 points while reaching double digits in six of eight games.
3. Reynolds is 12 made 3-pointers shy of tying for fifth on Tulane's all-time list, and 13 away from tying for fourth.
PREDICTION: Tulane 92, Southern 80