Tulane releases 2017-18 men’s basketball non-conference slate

NEW ORLEANS – Entering his second year at the helm of the program, Tulane men’s basketball head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., announced the program’s non-conference schedule for the 2017-18 season.

Tulane’s 12-game, non-league slate comprises seven home games, two road contests and a trio of neutral-site tilts.

“We wanted a schedule of non-conference opponents that will prepare us for an extremely competitive American Athletic Conference and we achieved that,” Dunleavy said. “Playing against top teams like North Carolina and Florida State will be great opportunities that complement the challenges throughout our schedule.”

The Green Wave gets a final tune-up for the regular season in an exhibition game against Loyola University (New Orleans) on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. Admission to the game will be free for all fans.

Tulane tips the season on its home court Friday, Nov. 10 against LIU Brooklyn, before welcoming Southeastern Louisiana on Monday, Nov. 13. The Green Wave has never faced the Blackbirds, but faces the Lions for the 12th time overall and the third time in the last four years.

Tulane will leave the country for its next two games when it travels to Montego Bay for the Jamaica Classic. The Green Wave will play Nov. 17 and 19 at the Montego Bay Convention Center against opponents that will be announced at a later date.

The Olive and Blue hosts Miami University (Ohio) on Wednesday, Nov. 22 – the first matchup between the programs since 1971. The Redhawks’ last trip to Tulane came in December of 1969 and resulted in a 59-57 defeat in New Orleans.

Following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Green Wave travels to Atlanta for the second year in a row – this time to face Georgia State on Saturday, Nov. 25 – the first meeting between the programs since December of 1995. Tulane leads the all-time series, 7-0, which includes a 77-52 victory in its lone road contest against the Panthers during the 1983-84 campaign.

A Nov. 29 home game against Alcorn State closes out the November slate, before the Green Wave makes the trek to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face the reigning national champion North Carolina Tar Heels on Dec. 3. The contest will also mark the 10th time Tulane faces a reigning national champion and the first since taking on Connecticut in 2014-15.

Tulane hosts Southern University on Wednesday, Dec. 6, before heading to Tampa, Fla., to meet Florida State on Dec. 10 in a game at Amalie Arena. The Green Wave and Seminoles last went head-to-head on December 5, 1995, when Tulane claimed a 78-77 home victory. December’s matchup will be the 36th all-time between the programs.

The Green Wave closes out non-conference play with consecutive home contests against Nicholls State on Dec. 18 and South Alabama on Dec. 21. Tulane is 19-1 overall against the Colonels and will face the Jaguars for the fifth time, but the first since an 84-73 home win during the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Tickets for the 2017-18 season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging onto TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

Be sure to follow Tulane men’s basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date and get behind the scenes coverage of the program.

—

Tulane returns three starters for the 2017-18 campaign, including redshirt senior and 2017 American Athletic Conference Most Improved Player of the Year Cameron Reynolds, who led the team in scoring (17.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg) last season. Rising junior Melvin Frazier ranked first in the conference in steals per game (1.9) and second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg), while rising sophomore Ray Ona Embo was named American Conference Rookie of the Week two times.