GETTING INSIDE

  

  Tulane is looking to build on the momentum it picked up to finish last season. Dave Dickerson’s club won four of its final six games, with both losses coming to nationally ranked Memphis in the regular season finale and in the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinal round.

   The Green Wave returns nine letter winners for the 2009-10 campaign, including three starters, and will feature one player who sat out last season and three newcomers. TU’s veteran-laden roster includes three seniors, five juniors, two sophomores, one redshirt freshman and two true freshmen.

   Tulane returns one of the program’s most productive players from the past three seasons in senior point guard Kevin Sims. He teams up with guard Kris Richard, a junior and one of league’s best defenders, to give Tulane one of the league’s best and most experienced backcourts.

   But Tulane does need help up down low. Senior forward Asim McQueen is returning starter and the only other player back besides Sims and Richard that averaged more than six points last season. Dickerson added a pair of freshmen recruits late—Terrance Beasley and Kelth Cameron—to shore up the frontline.

   “We’ve lost a lot of good inside players over the last three years and we’re trying to replenish that now and by adding Terrance and Kelth,” Dickerson said.

   One constant for Tulane during Dickerson’s tenure has been its success in opening-round games of the Conference USA tournament. Last season, the Green Wave moved to 4-0 under Dickerson when it downed East Carolina 69-59 in the first round of the 2009 Conference USA Men’s Basketball tournament. 

NOTES, QUOTES

 

  —Senior G Kevin Sims was one of 34 players from around the nation, and the lone representative from Conference USA, named to the 2009 Bob Cousy Award Watch List. Last season, Sims led the team in scoring (13.0), assists (4.0), three-point field goals (51), free throws (110) and minutes played (35.0) and was the only player to start all 31 games. 

  —Junior G Kris Richard is one of the top thieves in the conference. Last season, Richard ranked second among the league’s top steals leaders during C-USA contests with 2.1 per game and was fourth overall with 2 per outing. Richard had seven games with three or more steals, including a pair of contests with five thefts.

   —Tulane has a record of 37-18 (.672) at Fogelman Arena and a mark of 22-8 (.733) against non-conference teams in New Orleans under Dave Dickerson.  

Last Year:   14-17 overall, 7-9 in C-USA.   

Head Coach:   Dave Dickerson (career 60-62); Fifth season overall and at Tulane.  

Quote To Note:   “This is a very challenging schedule, the toughest we will play since I have been the head coach, but this schedule will prepare us for conference play and will help us compete for a conference championship.”—Coach Dave Dickerson on the schedule that includes 11 games against postseason teams from last season.  

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Tulane bolstered each position on the floor with the additions of freshman PG Jordan Callahan, junior-college transfer G/F Aaron Holmes, freshman F Terrance Beasley and freshman F/C Kelth Cameron. Holmes (6-5, 195) was rated as a top 50 national prospect as a senior in high school before spending last season Santa Fe Community College. Beasley ranked as the No. 48 small forward by ESPN.com.  

Key Early-season Games:   The season opens at home Nov. 13 with the program’s first meeting against Georgetown. Tulane is also part of the Charleston Classic (Nov. 19-22). The eight-team field includes Davidson, LaSalle, Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, South Florida and UNC Wilmington. The Wave opens the Classic against Miami and will face either Penn State or UNC Wilmington in the second round.  

Program Direction:   After back-to-back winning seasons, the Green Wave took a step last year. But the program is still in better shape than what coach Dave Dickerson inherited. Tulane had just one winning season in the five years before he took over. The Green Wave should be in the running for a winning record overall and in C-USA with an experienced club that sports one of the top backcourts in the league.   

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Ben Uzoh, SG Justin Hurtt, SF Bishop Wheatley, PF Steven Idlet, C Jerome Jordan.   

Roster Report:  

• Redshirt freshman G/F Kendall Timmons is back after he was lost for the majority of the 2008-09 season with a back injury. Before being sidelined, Timmons averaged 5.4 points per contest but was coming on strong after posting a career-best 18 points on the road at George Mason. He played injured in the next game against Binghamton and did not return.  

• Senior F Asim McQueen registered the best season of his collegiate career during 2008-09 with 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 28.4 minutes per game. He scored a career-best 20 points vs. UC Davis and posted two double-doubles.  

• Junior G Kris Richard’s 59 steals last season were good enough for 10th place on the school’s single-season list.  

• Senior G Eric Vianney, junior G/F Johnny Mayhane and junior G Kris Richard combined for 67 3-pointers last season.