After a controversial semifinal loss to the Memphis Tigers, the Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team is getting a shot at a postseason tournament.
Tulane accepted a berth to the inaugural College Basketball Crown, a new tournament that will take place in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 6.
The Tigers will solely represent the American conference in the NCAA tournament.
The Green Wave (19-14) were snubbed from the NIT with a 145 NET ranking.
The NIT selection committee instead chose the UAB Blazers, North Texas Mean Green, FAU Owls and Wichita State Shockers. The inclusion of FAU stings when Tulane finished two games in the standings, beat the Owls in the AAC quarterfinals and won their regular season contest.
The difference-maker may have been FAU’s two Quad 2 wins, while the Green Wave didn’t have one Quad 1 or Quad 2 win this season.
However, Tulane had a lot of momentum, winning three of four final games to close conference play with a 12-6 AAC finish. They were one point and a non-call for a potential foul on Rowan Brumbaugh away from the championship game of the conference tournament.
The invitation to the this new tournament taking place in two weeks offers an intriguing opportunity for the team, as they now have a shot to take home some postseason hardware.
The Crown Basketball Championship announced their selections on Monday, and the event will feature at least two teams from the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Big East, with 10 remaining at-large bids.
The Crown is a collaboration between Fox Sports and AEG, developed out of a recent challenge to fill brackets for the NIT and non-NCAA postseason tournaments with the infusion of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness.
A record 17 teams passed on NIT invites last season, making the debut of the new tournament a must-watch in its first year to assess its viability.
Notably, three Big 12 teams passed on tournament bids, which likely opened a spot for the Green Wave with five teams from their conference already included.
No matter how the first event unfolds, it signifies recognition for Tulane in a competitive season finish. They will face off in the first round against the USC Trojans on April 1.
The field is set. Two weeks from today it all goes down in Vegas. 16 teams. 1 crown. Tickets available via @vividseats now – https://t.co/VjK7Uctf7B pic.twitter.com/5sxdVoFdk7
— College Basketball Crown (@CBBCrown) March 17, 2025
The Trojans (16-17) have a pair of top-15 wins but went 3-13 in Quad 1 games.
They have seven wins above Quad 3 and four in Quad 2 play, while the Green Wave have none.
However, USC had 14 more opportunities than Tulane’s eight chances at wins above Quad 3. And the Green Wave were one point away from an upset Quad 1 win over Memphis in AAC tournament play.
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