Tulane @ Wichita St. preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 21, 2018 ) Tulane 86, Wichita St. 93

Wichita State will look to win a fourth straight game for this first time this season on Saturday, when it hosts a Tulane team that has lost 11 in a row. The Green Wave are trying to stay positive while searching for their first American Athletic Conference victory of the season (0-9), as well as their first true road win (0-6).

“We just have to continue to play hard for one another and the chips will fall where they may,” Tulane guard Caleb Daniels told reporters after his team fell 75-67 to Temple last Saturday. “We just have to control what we can control.” Daniels recorded his second career double-double in that setback as he scored a team-leading 21 points while recording career highs of 11 rebounds and six assists. The Shockers registered their first true road win of the season as they topped East Carolina 65-49 on Wednesday, marking the first time this season they’ve held an opponent to fewer than 50 points. Wichita State had its best effort on the glass this campaign as it received a career-high 11 boards from sophomore Asbjorn Midtgaard and outrebounded ECU 46-27 – their best rebounding margin (plus-19) since joining the AAC last season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT TULANE (4-17, 0-9 American): As the Green Wave continue to search for a winning formula, coach Mike Dunleavy has used eight different starting lineups this season, with forward Samir Sehic the only player to start every game. Sehic scored 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting against Temple, but the conference’s third-leading rebounder (7.8) chipped in with eight boards - including a team-high four of the offensive end. Freshman Moses Wood is shooting 70 percent (14-for-20) over his last five games and has scored in double figures in two of his last three contests after failing to hit the mark in his first 18 collegiate games.

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (11-11, 4-6): Samajae Haynes-Jones had his most efficient game of the season on Wednesday as he was 7-for-9 from the floor and hit both of his 3-point attempts en route to a team-high 18 points. Jamarius Burton finished with a team-high four assists in 15 minutes against ECU and has dished out 17 while committing just three turnovers over his last three contests. Wichita State is learning to play a more disciplined game as it committed a season-low 14 fouls in a win over Tulsa last weekend and followed with just 15 on Wednesday.

TIP-INS

1. The Shockers lead the nation in wins (39) and winning percentage (92.9) in games played in the month of February dating back to 2014.

2. Tulane F Blake Paul has made 90 career blocks and is two away from tying Paul Thompson (1979-83) for 10th-most in school history.

3. This is just the second meeting between the programs, with Wichita State posting a 93-86 home victory last season.

PREDICTION: Wichita State 69, Tulane 60