USC Men's Basketball Set To Face Tulane At College Basketball Crown

Tuesday, April 1

Las Vegas, Nev.

8 p.m.

USC

Tulane

Tickets

USC Men's Basketball Set To Face Tulane At College Basketball Crown

March 31, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Trojans and the Green Wave will face each other at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

LAS VEGAS – USC Men's Basketball (16-17) is ready for postseason play as they compete in the inaugural College Basketball Crown, taking place in Las Vegas from March 31 through April 6. The Trojans will kick off the tournament on the second day of competition, April 1, against the Tulane Green Wave. These two teams have only played each other three times before, with USC winning all three meetings.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans were last on the court on March 13 as they took on No. 20 Purdue in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. It was a gritty battle the entire game as neither team as the score was tied at the half and was tied yet again heading into the final 55 seconds of the game. Despite USC's best efforts to stay ahead of Purdue, it wasn't enough as some key free throws from the Boilermakers allowed them to take that game 76-71.

Four Trojans finished with double-digit points in this game. Leading the offensive efforts was Desmond Claude, who tallied 18 points while shooting at 50 percent from the field. Following up behind him was Wesley Yates III, who contributed 13 points along with seven rebounds and three assists. The final two that secured double-digit points were Rashaun Agee and Matt Knowling, who each contributed 11 points each.

SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE

Tulane finished fourth in the AAC with a 12-6 record in conference play. The Green Wave won four of its final six games to conclude the season with a 19-14 overall record. In the AAC tournament, Tulane lost to nationally-ranked Memphis in the semifinals. The Green Wave is 1-4 this season when playing at neutral sites. Tulane is 2-11 this season when scoring less than 70 points in a game.
The Green Wave were an imposing force on defense - allowing opponents to only score 69 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field. Tulane's perimeter defense has also been impressive. The Green Wave held opponents to 31 percent shooting from behind the three-point line while forcing nearly 12 turnovers per game.
Redshirt sophomore Rowan Brumbaugh has stood out for the Green Wave. Brumbaugh led Tulane in scoring (15.4 points per game) and steals (1.5 per game). He is one of four players for Tulane to average double-digit scoring this season. In AAC play, the 6-foot-4 guard elevated his play, averaging 17.2 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Brumbaugh has also averaged 4.8 assists per game - the second-highest mark of any AAC player.
Junior forward Kaleb Banks has been a solid player, finishing second in scoring (14.7 points per game) for the Green Wave. The Indiana transfer leads his team in rebounds per game (6.7). He added seven double-doubles this season and is shooting at 50.6 percent from the field - the fifth-highest mark among all AAC players.
Junior guard Asher Woods was helpful in AAC play, averaging 13.1 points per game. Woods is also shooting 86 percent from the charity stripe - the highest mark on the team.
Junior forward Gregg Glenn III averaged 10.9 points per contest on 49.6 percent shooting this season while also recording 3.2 assists per game.

PLAYOFF TROJANS
USC stayed on trend and won their sixth-straight opening round game as they took down Rutgers in overtime. With that win, Coach Eric Musselman is also 10-0 when it comes to opening round wins in conference tournaments. He also led the University of Nevada to win the College Basketball Invitational in his first season with the team as he hopes to do the same at the College Basketball Crown this week with the Trojans.

OFFENSE ON POINT
The Trojans have moved their way up the standings on offense. They currently boast a 117.1 offensive rating, which is the 38th-best in the NCAA according to KenPom.

WHEREABOUTS
The Trojans' first game of the College Basketball Crown will take place on Tuesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Fans can follow all the action between USC and Tulane on FS1 or listen through the ESPN LA app.