The Tulane Green Wave (10-18) will have their chance to upend the American Athletic Conference’s best team when they take on the No. 24 SMU Mustangs (23-4) at Moody Coliseum. The game gets underway at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on CCS.
The Mustangs defeated Memphis 69-62 on Thursday. Nic Moore had 12 points, six steals, and six assists for SMU. The Green Wave are coming off a 79-73 loss at the hands of East Carolina on Wednesday. Tulane lost despite the best efforts of Dylan Osetkowski, who recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Moore has taken his game to another level for the Mustangs, averaging 20.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 3.2 three-pointers. Osetkowski has upped his play for the Green Wave. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Mustangs winning the first matchup 60-45. Jordan Tolbert was a standout player in the game, producing 12 points, nine rebounds, one assist, six steals, and two blocks.
The Mustangs have gone 23-4 Straight Up (SU) and 10-13 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 2-7-1 ATS over their last 10 games. The Mustangs have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 66.8 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 78.2 points per game. The Mustangs are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .500 from the field. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for SMU in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.2 offensive boards per game. SMU is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.46. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Mustangs. The 64.3 points that SMU’s defense allows per game makes them the 22nd-ranked defense in the country. SMU’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Mustangs allow a .407 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
On the other side, Tulane has a SU record of 10-18 and an ATS record of 9-12-2. Tulane has been playing better lately, averaging 74.8 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 67.0.
SMU won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against Tulane to 7-3 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. With a 6-3-1 record, the Mustangs also have the advantage ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – SMU, ATS Winner – SMU
Notes
SMU averages 78.2 points per game (ranked 52nd). Tulane, on the other hand, allows 70.8 points per game (ranked 128th).
SMU scores 80.6 points per home game (ranked 62nd). Tulane ranks a poor 156th in points allowed on the road, allowing 75.2 points.
Ranked fifth, the SMU Mustangs have an offensive rating of 119.9. The Tulane Green Wave, on the other hand, rank 122nd with a defensive rating of 102.9.
The Tulane Green Wave average 68.7 possessions per game and .974 points per possession. The SMU Mustangs earn fewer possessions with 65.2, but they score more points with 1.199.
SMU is ranked 15th in the nation with an average effective field goal percentage of 55.8%. Tulane has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-6).
Ranked seventh in the nation, SMU has an average of 17.7 assists per game. Tulane ranks lower at 311th with 11.4.
SMU, the 54th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.6 per game. Tulane does worse, ranked 114th with 3.9.
SMU ranks 29th in offensive rebounding. Tulane ranks 161st in defensive rebounding.
Tulane makes an average of 6.0 steals per game. SMU has a superb 21-3 record when it allows at least 5 steals.
