Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – In its first postseason appearance since 2008, the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team will make the short trip to New Orleans to take on Tulane Wednesday night in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Tip-off for Wednesday’s contest—just the third between the two schools and first since 1974—will be at 7 p.m. in Devlin Fieldhouse. Lee Shirvanian will call the action on 105.5 FM and WNSP.com. Fans can get updates via live stats and the USA men’s basketball Twitter feed: @SouthAlaMBK.

A free live stream is available here.

“It helps our team and it’s great for our program,” USA interim head coach Jeff Price said. “This is the first postseason for South Alabama basketball in five years. It’s a great honor regardless of the tournament and it allows our seniors to play some more, which they deserve. It’s great for our underclassmen too. We have four returning starters that can say they played in the postseason. I think it’s a no-brainer all around.

“I expect us to go over there and play like an experienced team. We have a team that is fairly experienced now and has been playing together all year. I expect us to go over there and play to win. I don’t think we’d be playing in this if our guys weren’t excited about playing. It’s a real good matchup for us and a good game.”

The Jaguars will be playing in their first postseason game in the state of Louisiana against the Green Wave, who currently hold a 19-14 record. Tulane advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament before falling to top seed and No. 20 Memphis, 81-68.

“They’re a good team – they have 19 wins, they’re a very athletic team and one of the leading free throw shooting teams in the country,” Price said. “They’re a dribble-drive offense, really athletic and can get to the basket. They’re good in transition and like to score. It’s a game where we’re really going to have to get back on defense and take care of the defensive end.”

Tulane boasts a pair of dangerous scorers in Josh Davis and Ricky Tarrant. Davis, a North Carolina State transfer, averages 17.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and is fifth in the nation with 18 double-doubles. The 2011-12 CUSA Freshman of the Year, Tarrant averages 16.0 points per outing and has hit 66 times from 3-point land.

“In ways I think we’re similar,” Price said of the two teams. “We’re bigger up front and have more true post players, but they’re a team that will spread you out and they drive as much as any team I’ve seen – they really get the ball to the rim and we’re going really have to concentrate on staying in front of the ball because they have some guys that can shoot it as well.”

The 2012-13 Sun Belt Player of the Year, Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas), has scored 20 or more in two of his last three outings, including a 22-point performance in the SBC Tournament against Western Kentucky. While he was held to just 4 of 18 shooting from the floor, he set a new career high with 14 free throws in 16 attempts.

His next point will put him in 10th place in USA’s single-season history and he needs eight rebounds to move into eighth place in the Sun Belt record books.

USA senior Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas) is also looking to move up in conference history, needing two blocks to tie for 11th and three to tie for 10th. Three blocks would also tie his career high set last season.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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