2007-2008 Tulane Green Wave Basketball Preview

Tulane Green Wave - Conference USA
2006-07: 17-13, 9-7, 4th (t)
2006-07 postseason: none

Tulane is coming off their first winning season since 2001 and with four starters returning, there is some optimism about Coach Dave Dickerson’s program. The Green Wave might not be quite ready for a postseason trip, but the team is moving in the right direction. However, if the team can find a shooter or two and some quality depth, Tulane will make some noise in the conference.

Who’s Out:
The graduation of Chris Moore is a big blow. The wing was the most prolific long range shooter on the team and the lack of any proven shooter to take his place is a major concern. The 6-5 wing was second on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game and did his fair share of work in the assists and rebounding departments as well. Andrew Garcia started a handful of games and was a decent ballhandler off the bench. Forward Kory Castine averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in limited minutes, but there are a handful of players ready and willing to take over his minutes.

Who’s In:
The Green Wave hope some of the newcomers can help with the outside shooting and Johnny Mayhane, Eric Vianney, Kris Richard and Jake Henderson should be able to replace Moore and then some. Mayhane is the best pure shooter of the bunch and the redshirt freshman sat out last year with a knee injury. At 6-5, Mayhane will help out on the glass from the wing as well. Vianney, a transfer from Illinois State, never got the opportunity to show his stuff in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the 6-2 sophomore from Cameroon is a solid athlete who could develop into a dependable contributor. Richard will use his versatility to provide depth at every perimeter position. Richard is the better athlete, but it is Henderson who can fill the big need by hitting the long ball. Power forward Jon Andersen could see some minutes off the bench as a freshman. He has enough talent and, at 6-9, has two inches on the tallest of the Green Wave players, but he needs to work on his rebounding and toughness before he can be a big time player.

Who to Watch:
Tulane has a superstar in David Gomez. The 6-7 big man led the team with 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds last year and bigger things are expected for his senior season. He may be a little undersized, but Gomez more than makes up for it with heart and hustle. Gomez is a decent defender, but it is Donnie Stith who does a majority of the shotblocking. With his work ethic, Stith has developed into a team leader and he will help the team on so many levels. At the small forward spot Daniel Puckett should step into the fulltime starting role. Puckett does not have the shooting skills one would hope to see out of a small forward, but he can handle the ball a little bit for a 6-7 guy and has enough athleticism to get to the basket and be an effective scorer. Robinson Louisme can help the team become more productive in the paint. The 6-7 center averaged 6.4 points per game last year and at the least is a solid, experienced backup. Asim McQueen showed some potential as a freshman and, if the minutes become available, will play a bigger role for the Waves.

Final Tulane Projection:
The backcourt will have to depend a lot more on the newcomers, but there are a couple of returning players who will lead the way. Kevin Sims quickly turned into a reliable point guard as a freshman and the 5-10 Jackson, Mississippi product is a good playmaker and scorer. He is the best long range shooter returning, but he will be more valuable to the team by creating shots for his teammates and keeping the turnovers down. With a year of experience for Sims, the team should be able to cut back on their 15.2 turnovers per game from last year. Matt Wheaton started 21 games last year and very well could be starting his senior season as well. The only problem is that he is not the shooter the team needs. He is a good defender and a decent rebounder out of the backcourt, but if one of the newcomers can actually shoot with consistency, Wheaton may find himself coming in off the bench. Sims and Gomez are a good inside-outside combination, but both still have room to grow. If they can become a dominating duo to build around, the Green Wave may be close to an NIT berth. It would be beneficial if Sims did not have to do a lot of scoring and that will likely happen as the season progresses. However, early in the year, Sims will have to carry the load if the newcomers need time to find their roles and by the time they do, Coach Dickerson’s squad could have too many losses to reach the postseason this year.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

• Kevin Sims, Sophomore, Guard, 10.0 points per game

• Johnny Mayhane, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

• Daniel Puckett, Junior, Forward, 7.1 points per game

• Donnie Stith, Senior, Forward, 6.6 points per game

• David Gomez, Senior, Forward, 13.5 points per game

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