Opening a little box, Tulane men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter wanted to show senior guard Jaylen Forbes what he had just received as Forbes approached him at the practice facility on Friday morning.
“Some glasses?” Forbes guessed.
No, although Forbes drew some laughter from observers before he saw what it was.
Hunter was proudly displaying a bronze medal from Tulane’s summer trip to China to represent the United States at the World University Games. Strangely, coaches did not get medals at the time, but Hunter finally found a way to wrangle one in what he termed a "top-secret" method.
“I have played in the NCAA tournament and I have coached in the NCAA tournament and I’ve coached in some big games, but getting this medal today from China means more to me than probably a lot of the games that I’ve won because of what we went through,” Hunter said. “It really put a smile on my face, and that’s why I’m carrying it around.”
Hunter was in a jovial mood in part because of the way his guys have guarded recently. Entering a key road game with North Texas (1 p.m. Saturday; ESPNU), the Green Wave (10-3, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) no longer is all-offense, all the time.
“The last four games we’ve really stepped up,” Hunter said. “I’ve joked that I’m waking up excited about the defense now. I love this offense, but my bread is buttered by the defense. Earlier this season I never thought we were in synch defensively, and now I feel that way.”
North Texas (8-5, 1-0) which allowed the fewest points of any Division I team (55.8 average) on its way to the NIT championship last season, is following the same formula under new coach Ross Hodge, its associate head coach a year ago. Mississippi State’s 72 points are the most the Mean Green has allowed.
Wichita State shot 37% in a 74-62 home loss to North Texas on Thursday night, so Tulane, which ranks fourth nationally at 51½% and is seventh in scoring (89.7), likely will not enjoy the success it is used to offensively.
Maintaining the recent defensive intensity will be key. Tulane held Southern, George Mason and Rice, its past three Division I opponents, to a combined 67-of-177 shooting (37.9%) and 25-of-82 (30½ %) from 3-point range. The Wave’s 84-59 blowout of the Owls on Wednesday was its most lopsided home-opening league victory since it joined the old Metro Conference in 1976-77.
Hunter credited forward Collin Holloway, who blocked seven shots in a two-game span recently, for solidifying the interior defense. Forbes pointed to active hands on the perimeter. He had a career-high-tying five steals against George Mason, and point guard Kolby King has registered at least two steals in all but three games.
“Not to take any credit away from what the bigs are doing, but it starts with me and Kolby (King) up top,” Forbes said. “When me and Kolby are disruptive, the rest of the team just follows behind, which makes us pretty tough to score on.”
North Texas, which is up to 49 in the NET rating, will be a tough test. Tulane has lost all three of its games against top-150 teams, getting blown out by Mississippi State and frittering away chances against Bradley and George Mason late.
“In league play, it’s about who can win at the top end on the road,” Hunter said. “That’s why this is big because how many people will have a chance to win at North Texas? We feel good about where we are, but we know we’re going into a hostile environment against a good team.”
Every game in China felt like a hostile environment, with the fans pulling against the U.S. as Tulane went 6-1 representing the country. Looking at his medal, Hunter pointed out that experience, which came on short notice, would help immeasurably on the road with his close-knit group.
“We talk about it every day,” he said. “In our film session we’re always relating back to something that happened to us in China. That trip was thrown upon us. We didn’t even think we were supposed to be there. I canceled vacation. It just means a lot.”