Sept. 30, 2016
By Wiley Ballard – Georgia Tech hosts Tulane in game 5 (Nov. 26) of the upcoming season, the 71st meeting between the two teams one of the longest-running series in Yellow Jacket history, and the fourth meeting in the last six years. This is the fifth in a series of previews of the Yellow Jackets’ non-conference opponents.
Location: New Orleans, La.
Home arena: Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse (4,100)
2015-16 Record: 12-22 overall, 3-15 in AAC (11th), 232nd in NCAA RPI
Post-Season: lost to Memphis in the semifinals of AAC Tournament, 74-54
NCAA Postseason Appearances: 3 (last in 1995)
All-time series record: Tech leads 37-33 (last meeting on 12/5/15, GT won 76-68)
Head coach: Mike Dunleavy, Sr. (entering 1st season)
Starters returning/lost: 3/2
Top scorer returning: Malik Morgan (12.3)
Top rebounder returning: Malik Morgan (5.2)
Quick preview for 2016-17
More than 25 years removed from his first coaching assignment, Mike Dunleavy, Sr., has entered the college ranks. The former NBA shooting guard spent more than 20 years coaching in the NBA and was recognized as the league’s Coach of the Year in 1999. The 62-year-old credits his desire to enter the college game to his son Baker’s experience at Villanova as an associate head coach. The ex-NBA general manager inherits a young roster with only two seniors and two juniors. Redshirt-senior Malik Morgan poured in 12.2 points per game in his first season at Tulane after transferring from LSU. Von Julien joins Morgan in the backcourt after starting 16 games as a true freshman. Ryan Smith adds veteran leadership to a youthful frontcourt with over 50 career starts in his three years at Tulane.
Quick recap of 2015-16
The 2015-16 season began with high hopes and 10 upperclassmen suiting up for the Green Wave. Unfortunately the bevy of experience produced a short supply of wins as Tulane went just 12-22 and finished in last place in the AAC. With only a 9-27 conference record in his last two seasons combined, head coach Ed Conroy was let go after his sixth season. Aside from senior Louis Dabney, who ranked 10th in the AAC with 14.4 points per game, the Green Wave struggled mightily on the offensive end, shooting a league-low 39.7 percent from the field. The three-ball was even more troubling as Tulane made the AAC’s third-fewest treys despite taking the third-most attempts.
Three NCAA Tournament appearances in a 4-year span – Tulane basketball began in 1905, joined the AAC in 2014, and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times. However, the Green Wave have not made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995. Tulane made it to the tournament three out of four years from 1992-1995 under the leadership of Perry Clark, a former Tech assistant coach uinder Bobby Cremins. Each time, the Green Wave won in the first round and were ousted in the round of 32. In 1995, Tulane defeated BYU by six before No. 1-seeded Kentucky eliminated the Green Wave in the second round. Tulane has never won any regular-season or conference tournament titles in its program history. However last year’s run to the conference semifinals was its deepest since 2007.
Greatest player in program history
Jerald Honeycutt (1994-1997) – Born in Shreveport, La., Jerald Honeycutt finished his four-year career as Tulane’s all-time leading scorer (2,209 points). After his career, Honeycutt also ranked fifth on the school’s all-time rebounding list (870). He averaged 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game over the course of his Green Wave career. During his sophomore season, Honeycutt averaged more than 17 points per game and helped lead Tulane to the NCAA Tournament. That year, the Green Wave defeated BYU in the first round before losing to Kentucky in the round of 32. It is the last time Tulane has made it to the NCAA Tournament. After college, Honeycutt was drafted 38th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He played three seasons in the NBA, two for the Bucks and one for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Place to visit on campus or in the city
New Orleans French Quarter – The French Quarter hardly needs an introduction. As New Orleans’ oldest and most storied neighborhood, the Vieux Carré houses iconic architecture influenced by Spanish, French and Creole culture while mixing in over 100 years of Louisiana history. Carriage rides, Cajun cuisine, Gallier House tours, and Royal Street performers are just a handful of the Quarter’s attractions. Throughout the year, the Crescent City plays host to countless festivals including the Bayou Boogaloo, the New Orleans Oyster Festival and the Red Dress Run. Best of all, the French Quarter is located just five miles west of Tulane’s Devlin Fieldhouse.
