The Tulane Green Wave will represent the Crescent City in their first year competing with the Big Dogs from Conference USA.  The Green Wave decided to turn to Coach Perry Clark after deciding to jump back into the frying pan of major college basketball.  There are low expectations for this program who has not been to a post season tournament and at one point was the doormat of the SEC.  Things were better in the Metro but they were not an elite program, even there, and moving into this new super conference was foreboding.   Clark does have some returning talent and went out and got some more with promises of playing time and being able to be a part of rebuilding (well building really as this never was a prestigious basketball program) process.   Coach Clark has brought in some dedicated players to help this program move into the brave new world.  They may not have made a post season in a while but the fans of the Green Wave look at this team as their poster children for the rebirth of the Big Easy after all of that nonsense with Katrina. 

Going into the season things are looking up with Clark replacing Roy Danforth.  Clark is a defense first type of guy and some of the returning players can indeed guard other people.  And then again he had some who could not.  It sure did not start out like this team could play defense but at least they were keeping games close.  And the best thing is that some of their old rivals from the SEC were coming into the Big Easy to try and handle the heat of old Tulane Gym now called Devlin Fieldhouse.  The little arena holds only a little over 3000 fans but it is one heck of a home court advantage primarily due to the extreme heat this little place holds in.  

The one defensive guy who will be coming is Sophomore John ‘Hot Rod’ Williams.  Williams is without question the best player on the team.  He is a terrific defender who can guard on the block and is a great shot blocker.  His defense sometimes gets ahead of his offense but it is catching up.  At six foot eleven and 245 he has the size and physical skills to be one heck of a player which at various times he was.  The problem with Williams is not talent, it is his lack of inspiration.  He almost seems like this small town kid (Sorrento Louisiana) was just going to college as a means to an end and that was to develop his God given talent to take to the next level.  When he was actually inspired he showed he could flat play.  But most of the time, as good as he can be, he was content scoring a little and rebounding a little (he should be much better here with his size and athleticism) and blocking shots when guys got close.  This kid with the cool do could be something special if he can keep his nose clean and get a little more motivated about playing this great game.    

There are a few more guys that the Wave that can play including a few seniors who have remember those SEC days.  Senior John Arthurs has been a primary offensive weapon since he left De La Salle High School in the heart of the Big Easy.  Arthurs is a terrific shooter who also uses his size to get into the lane and score versus smaller guards.  Arthurs has unbelievable hand eye coordination and loves to score.  He was once the leading scorer and main man for the Wave but with Clark around he will have to become more of a team player.  There are rumors that Clark is going to convert Arthurs to the point guard position this season.  That is not his forte as passing the ball and defense are a bit foreign to this home-grown kid.   At six four he looks like a first baseman (too bad he isn’t a lefty) but his size and his shooting ability give him a chance to play at the next level He is not the prototypical wing that can run and dunk so he will have an uphill battle in the ever changing world of basketball.  There are several other Seniors that at one point used to get some healthy minutes for the Wave.  Most were used to getting beat up on when they were in the SEC and none besides Arthurs had the talent to get serious minutes at the Conference USA level or might not be athletic enough to play in Clark’s new wave!  Amongst these were Mel Payton who though undersized, 6’4, used to be a heck of a board guy for the Waves.  Fellow Senior Jack Ardon was the original king of the boards for Tulane but like Payton is a bit skinny for the C-USA wars that are coming.  Al Andrews, Jim Kerwin, Warren Perkins, Jim Riffie and Alex ‘Greek’ Atha were a quintet of studs who once were BMOC at Tulane but like Ardon and Payton were nowhere near ready for the talent of this new league and gladfully rode the bench after too many years of getting beat up on in the games.   Kerwin like Arthurs can score and is not a terrible defender and at least contributed with some offense.  I don’t know if he and Arthurs played because of their talent or the lack thereof at the guard position.   As you will see on the court this year, Clark brought in a truckload of point guards trying to find his man to run the team after the debacle that was last year.  Kerwin was tried at the point at times but he is not a point guard.  Andrews also got a shot at point for about ten minutes and then he was thrown on the wood pile of upperclassmen wings  I would tend to think both Kerwin and Arthurs were good enough to hang in there primarily as both have one skill that even modern basketball covets.  Both can flat shoot!  

Another carryover is sophomore Paul Thompson.  Thompson is one wing who the Wave did not have to worry about.  Thompson really can do everything and is the type of player every team needs.  He can shoot (though he is a much better mid-range player than a long-range guy) and get to the hoop and for a wing is a tremendous rebounder.  Thompson is another Louisiana raised kid who is a team leader and the type of player Coach Clark loves.  He is unselfish and may not be as good of a defensive player as Clark but the one thing he will always do is keep on giving everything he has every game.  Though he and Williams came in together as the common name boys he is almost the diametrically opposite of his teammate and friend.  Thompson was never implicated in the fixing mess and is a guy you can count on to play as hard as h can until the final whistle.   

 As stated above, point guard was a major problem for the Wave.  AS stated before Clark brought in a slew of point guards trying to find somebody to run his team.  Many tried and some even had some bright moments but overall this is the position that kept the Wave from competing in Conference USA. Senior Terry Habig got the first shot but he got worse as the year progressed and will be hard pressed to make the team this year. Junior Pieere Gaudin got the most starts and really was not bad.  He is not as quick as Clark wants but is a leader and can score a little and dish even less.  But he can defend and has a great name especially for this town and the fans love him.  With all the transition Gaudin as a junior was a solid influence and his consistency was welcomed  

The rest of the rotation for the Wave featured a couple of big scorers.  Junior Forward Phil Hicks is the returning starter at the four and really can fill it up.  This New York kid plays with a chip and loves to score and board and at six seven can do both pretty dang well.   He is a gamer and will continue to be the starter at least for now though rumors are there are a few big men coming in with Clark to at least split time with the fiery forward.  Hicks does not like being part of the ‘posse’ but he showed he will take whatever role is needed as long as he gets to play.  Fellow Junior Jeff Cummings gives the Wave something they were lacking outside of Williams.  Size.  Cummings goes at six eleven though he is thin at about 210.  He takes up space and knows how to score in paint.  He might be a project but he is worth the time spent waiting for him to develop.  Size does not grow on trees and even with Williams around he will play.  Senior Craig Spitzer also has some size at 7’0 225 but is even more of a project then Cummings.  The plan is to move Williams to the four and Spitzer and Cummings split at the center as they did last year part of the time but with Clark coming in things are going to change quickly.  One other player who has been in the rotation is junior big man Harold ‘DC’ Sylvester.  The 6’6 power forward can play but got surpassed by the talent of Williams.  He has a backup plan which includes being a thespian but that career path might have a less chance of success then even becoming a pro athlete.  Sylvester will be around and will be there if you can’t get over the ‘wall’ or if something goofy happens to Williams or Hicks. 

Coach Perry Clark  has a heck of a road in front of him trying to rebuild a program in a city that needs to be rebuilt. The Tulane Green Wave and the City of New Orleans have had some bad times but things are looking up as they join the power conference that is now the Conference USA.   After years of competing in the SEC, the Wave have bounced around some, going to the depths of basketball hell, even losing the program for a minute.  With all of that the Tulane Green Wave have kept the large fan base of New Orleans entertained and has given them hope for the near future.  And boy does this city need it. New Orleans has been through much and this team is a mirror of that but like this great Crescent city the Tulane Green Wave will rise again!  Or for the first time!