2020–21 Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team American college basketball season
The 2020–21 Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team represented Tulane University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . The Green Wave, led by second-year head coach Ron Hunter , played their home games at Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans, Louisiana , as seventh-year members of the American Athletic Conference . They finished the season 10-13, 4-12 in AAC Play to finish in 10th place. They defeated Tulsa in the first round of the AAC tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Houston .
Previous season
The Green Wave 12–18, 4–14 in AAC play to finish in 12th place. They entered as the No. 12 seed in the AAC tournament , which was ultimately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Offseason
Departures
^ a b c Lawson, Thomas, and Thompson were all graduate transfers in the 2019–20 season, with Lawson having graduated from Kansas , Thomas from Norfolk State , and Thompson from Rhode Island .
Incoming Transfers
Name
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Previous School
Oton Jankovic
F
6'10"
212
Sophomore
Zagreb, Croatia
Transferred from Vanderbilt . Jankovic was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility.[ 5] Will have three years of remaining eligibility.[ 6]
Gabe Watson
G
6'2"
192
Junior
Jackson, MS
Transferred from Southern Miss . Watson was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility.[ 7] Will have two years of remaining eligibility.[ 8]
Jaylen Forbes
G
6'4"
186
Sophomore
Florence, MS
Transferred from Alabama . Forbes was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. Will have three years of remaining eligibility.[ 9] [ 10]
Kevin Cross Jr.
F
6'8"
240
Sophomore
Little Rock, AR
Transferred from Nebraska . Cross was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. Will have three years of remaining eligibility.[ 11] [ 10]
2020 recruiting class
Tulane will also add Preferred Walk-on Ben Callahan-Gold, a 6'7" swingman from Northfield Mount Hermon School . Ben is the son of comedian Judy Gold .[ 12]
Preseason
On October 28, The American released the preseason Poll and other preseason awards[ 13]
Coaches Poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Houston
99 (2)
2
Memphis
90 (2)
3
SMU
80
4
Cincinnati
77
5
South Florida
61
6
Tulsa
50
7
Wichita State
44
8
UCF
37
9
East Carolina
34
10
Temple
18
11
Tulane
15
Roster
2020–21 Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G
0
Gabe Watson
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
192 lb (87 kg)
Jr
St. Joseph Southern Miss
Jackson, MS
G
1
Sion James
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Fr
Lanier
Buford, GA
G
2
Jordan Walker
5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
RS Jr
The Patrick School Seton Hall
Port Washington, NY
F
3
Tylan Pope
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
RS Fr
Franklinton
Franklinton, LA
F
4
Nobal Days
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
So
Racine Park
Racine, WI
F
5
Kevin Cross Jr.
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
So
Mills HS Nebraska
Little Rock, AR
F
10
Oton Jankovic
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
So
Montverde Academy Vanderbilt
Zagreb, Croatia
F
11
Ibrahim Ali
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
RS So
Maumelle Arkansas
Lagos, Nigeria
G
12
Jadan Coleman
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
155 lb (70 kg)
Fr
Bob Jones
Madison, AL
C
13
Buay Koka
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
RS Jr
The Patrick School
Nasir, South Sudan
G
23
R. J. McGee
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
So
TaylorMade Academy
Chicago, IL
G
25
Jaylen Forbes
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
186 lb (84 kg)
So
Florence HS Alabama
Florence, MS
G
32
Ben Callahan-Gold (W)
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Fr
Northfield Mount Hermon
New York, NY
G
34
Alec Zaccardo (W)
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
160 lb (73 kg)
Jr
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional MassBay CC
Boston, MA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster Last update: June 29, 2020
Schedule and results
COVID-19 impact
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , the Green Wave's schedule is subject to change, including the cancellation or postponement of individual games, the cancellation of the entire season, or games played either with minimal fans or without fans in attendance and just essential personnel.
The game vs. Tulsa scheduled for February 10 was moved to Tulsa.[ 14]
Schedule
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Regular season
November 27, 2020 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Lamar Tulane Classic
W 66–57
1–0
15 – Forbes
7 – Forbes
4 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
November 29, 2020 *1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Lipscomb Tulane Classic
W 68–66
2–0
16 – Tied
8 – McGee
6 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
December 9, 2020 *7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Southern Miss
W 58–38
3–0
15 – McGee
11 – McGee
6 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
December 12, 2020 *1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
W 67–56
4–0
16 – Forbes
9 – Forbes
3 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
December 16, 2020 8:00 p.m., ESPN2
Memphis
L 74–80
4–1 (0–1)
18 – Watson
5 – Tied
4 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
December 19, 2020 *1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Grambling State
W 77–65
5–1
21 – Forbes
6 – Tied
5 – Tied
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
December 22, 2020 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
at East Carolina
L 58–68
5–2 (0–2)
16 – Forbes
7 – McGee
4 – Watson
Williams Arena (65)Greenville, NC
January 2, 2020 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
East Carolina
W 60–56
6–2 (1–2)
20 – Forbes
7 – Cross
2 – Watson
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
January 9, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPNU
at No. 11 Houston
L 50–71
6–3 (1–3)
13 – Walker
6 – Pope
3 – Watson
Fertitta Center (1,859)Houston, TX
January 16, 2020 12:00 p.m., ESPN+
Temple Previously scheduled for Jan. 6
L 57–65
6–4 (1–4)
14 – Forbes
5 – Tied
4 – James
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
January 20, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
SMU
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues[ 15]
Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, LA
January 23, 2020 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Tulsa
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues[ 16]
Reynolds Center Tulsa, OK
January 28, 2020 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Houston
L 60–83
6–5 (1–5)
16 – Walker
9 – Cross
4 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, LA
January 31, 2020 11:00 a.m., ESPN+
at Temple
W 81–64
7–5 (2–5)
23 – Forbes
13 – Pope
8 – Walker
Liacouras Center Philadelphia, PA
February 3, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Wichita State
L 67–75
7–6 (2–6)
23 – Walker
8 – Pope
4 – Walker
Charles Koch Arena Wichita, KS
February 7, 2020 11:00 a.m., ESPN+
Cincinnati
L 61–64
7–7 (2–7)
15 – Forbes
9 – Pope
4 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, LA
February 10, 2020 4:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Tulsa
W 58–48
8–7 (3–7)
20 – Forbes
7 – Pope
7 – Walker
Reynolds Center (100)Tulsa, OK
February 12, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+
at UCF Previously scheduled for Dec. 30
L 49–53
8–8 (3–8)
14 – Tied
8 – Forbes
5 – Walker
Addition Financial Arena (1,420)Orlando, FL
February 14, 2021 1:00 pm, ESPNU
at South Florida Previously scheduled for Feb. 13
W 62–59
9–8 (4–8)
19 – Forbes
5 – Tied
4 – Walker
Yuengling Center Tampa, FL
February 17, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at SMU
Postponed due to severe weather [ 17]
Moody Coliseum University Park, TX
February 20, 2020 1:00 p.m., ESPNU
UCF
L 81–84
9–9 (4–9)
30 – Forbes
8 – Cross
10 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, LA
February 24, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Memphis
L 46–61
9–10 (4–10)
18 – Walker
10 – Forbes
3 – Walker
FedEx Forum (2,253)Memphis, TN
February 26, 2020 3:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Cincinnati Previously scheduled for Jan. 16
L 71–91
9–11 (4–11)
37 – Forbes
4 – James
3 – Watson
Fifth Third Arena (1,135)Cincinnati, OH
March 3, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Wichita State
L 70–78
9–12 (4–12)
17 – Walker
9 – McGee
4 – Walker
Devlin Fieldhouse (100)New Orleans, LA
March 6, 2020 11:00 a.m., ESPNU
South Florida
Cancelled due to scheduling changes[ 18]
Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, LA
AAC tournament
March 11, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPNU
(10)
vs. (7) Tulsa First Round
W 77–70
10–12
24 – Walker
7 – Tied
7 – Walker
Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX
March 12, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN2
(10)
vs. (2) No. 7 Houston Quarterfinals
L 52–77
10–13
11 – Cross
5 – McGee
4 – Cross
Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Central Time .
Awards and honors
American Athletic Conference honors
All-AAC Third Team
Source [ 19]
References
^ Langone, Matt (April 27, 2020). "Notebook: UMass Lowell's Noel testing NBA draft waters" . lowellsun.com . Lowell Sun . Retrieved April 30, 2020 .
^ Smith, Guerry [@Guersmith] (December 1, 2019). "#Tulane guard Ray Ona Embo has left the team and returned to France, coach Ron Hunter said after Sunday's win over Southern. Backing up Jordan Walker, Ona Embo was averaging 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 21.8 minutes" (Tweet ). Retrieved April 14, 2020 – via Twitter .
^ Schlabach, Mark (April 26, 2020). "Tulane guard Teshaun Hightower charged with murder in Georgia" . espn.com . ESPN . Retrieved April 26, 2020 .
^ Zacher, Benjamin (October 27, 2020). "Tulane Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Green Wave" . bustingbrackets.com . Retrieved December 1, 2020 . Zhang left the program to play professionally in China.
^ "Men's Basketball Transfer Oton Jankovic Granted Immediate Eligibility" . tulanegreenwave.com . Tulane Athletics. October 19, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020 .
^ "Men's Basketball Adds Vanderbilt Transfer Oton Jankovic" . tulanegreenwave.com . Tulane Athletics. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020 .
^ @GoodmanHoops (August 24, 2020). "Tulane has received a waiver for Gabe Watson to play this season, Ron Hunter told @Stadium. Tulane now with three transfer waivers. Watson transferred in from Southern Miss" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
^ Rothstein, Jon [@JonRothstein] (April 18, 2020). "Source: Southern Miss transfer Gabe Watson has committed to Tulane" (Tweet ). Retrieved April 18, 2020 – via Twitter .
^ "Tulane Men's Basketball Adds Alabama Transfer Jaylen Forbes" . wgno.com . WGNO . April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020 .
^ a b Goodman, Jeff [@GoodmanHoops] (August 19, 2020). "Tulane got waivers for Jalen Forbes (Alabama) and Kevin Cross (Nebraska), Ron Hunter told @Stadium. Both eligible for this season" (Tweet ). Retrieved August 21, 2020 – via Twitter .
^ Rothstein, Jon [@JonRothstein] (May 1, 2020). "Source: Nebraska transfer Kevin Cross has committed to Tulane" (Tweet ). Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Twitter .
^ Burack, Emily. "Judy Gold's son will be playing Div. I college basketball, and Ben Stiller is cheering him on" . jta.org . Jewish Telegraphic Agency . Retrieved June 25, 2020 .
^ "Houston Tabbed as 2020-21 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Favorite" . theAmerican.org . Retrieved October 28, 2020 .
^ "The American Announces Men's Basketball Schedule Changes" . theamerican.org . February 3, 2021.
^ "Tulane-UCF Game Scheduled for Dec. 30 Postponed" . theamerican.org . January 18, 2021.
^ "Tulane-Tulsa Game Scheduled for Jan. 23 Postponed" . theamerican.org . January 22, 2021.
^ "The American Announces Changes to Men's Basketball Schedule" . February 16, 2021.
^ "The American Announces Changes to Final Weekend of Regular Season" . theamerican.org . March 2, 2021.
^ "American Athletic Conference Announces Men's Basketball Honors" . theamerican.org . March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021 .
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