This week every day I am profiling one local team and their history in the NCAA Tournament. Today we are looking the Tulane Green Wave, who have not played in the postseason since the 1994-95 season.
NCAA Tournament Appearances
3 (1992, 1993, 1995)
Round of 32 Appearances
3 (1992, 1993, 1995)
NCAA Tournament Record
3-3
NIT Appearances
1982, 1983, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000
The Green Wave basketball team played its first game on December 9, 1905, marking the beginning of a legacy that has spanned over 100 years. In its early years, Tulane’s basketball program experienced sporadic success. The 1923-24 season stands out as a highlight, with the team achieving an impressive 22-1 record under coach Claude Simons. The program continued to grow, and in 1945, Cliff Wells, the most successful coach in Tulane’s history, took the reins. Wells led the team to multiple 20-win seasons and became a prominent figure in college basketball, eventually earning induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Green Wave faced challenges in the 1980s, including a major scandal that led to the “death penalty” of the program in 1985. Four players including All-American forward John “Hot Rod” Williams were accused of accepting money and cocaine to alter the point spreads.
(“Hot Rod” Williams arguably the greatest player to ever wear a Green Wave uniform was a part of the one of the biggest point shaving scandals in college basketball history in 1985. He later had a 14-year career in the NBA from 1986-1999 with Cavaliers, Suns and Mavericks.)
The program was reinstated in 1988, and Tulane began rebuilding its reputation. The 1990s brought renewed success, with the team making three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1992, 1993, and 1995. Tulane’s most notable stretch in the Tournament occurred in 1992 under the leadership of Perry Clark. That year, they earned a #10 seed and achieved a major milestone by defeating St. John’s in the first round. This victory secured their spot in the Round of 32, where their journey came to an end at the hands of Oklahoma State.
The momentum continued as Tulane returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1993. With a #9 seed, the team once again advanced to the Round of 32 after defeating Kansas State but lost in the second round to Florida State.
Tulane’s third and most recent NCAA Tournament appearance came in 1995. As a #11 seed, they repeated their pattern of advancing to the Round of 32 by defeating BYU in the opening round before falling short in their subsequent game #1 ranked Kentucky.
(Perry Clark was arguably the greatest basketball coach in Tulane history. He coached the Wave from 1989-2000 and was there for all three of their Tournament appearances
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