Preview: Surging South Florida Visits Struggling Tulane in AAC Clash

NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — Two American Athletic Conference men’s basketball teams on divergent paths will meet Wednesday night when the surging South Florida Bulls visit the slumping Tulane Green Wave at Devlin Fieldhouse.

South Florida (13-7, 6-1 AAC) enters on a five-game winning streak, most recently defeating Florida Atlantic 89-75 on Sunday. The Bulls’ only conference loss came in overtime to Wichita State on Jan. 18.

Conversely, Tulane (12-8, 2-5) has lost four straight, including a narrow 73-70 defeat at Charlotte last Friday. The Green Wave’s conference wins came against Florida Atlantic and East Carolina in late December and early January.

The matchup features a compelling duel in the frontcourt. South Florida’s Izaiyah Nelson is a focal point, averaging a double-double over his last eight games. The forward is coming off a 15-point, 12-rebound performance against FAU and has scored in double figures in seven consecutive contests.

Tulane will rely on guard Rowan Brumbaugh, who has shouldered a heavy scoring load. He poured in a season-high 35 points in the loss to Charlotte and has averaged 24.1 points over his last seven games, playing nearly 37 minutes per contest in that span.

South Florida’s recent success has been bolstered by balanced contributions. Alongside Nelson, guards Wes Enis (19 points vs. FAU) and CJ Brown (17 points, 7 assists vs. FAU) provide consistent perimeter scoring and playmaking.

Tulane, seeking to halt its skid, will need more support for Brumbaugh. The Green Wave have struggled defensively during their losing streak, allowing an average of 76.3 points per game.

Wednesday’s game is the first of a regular-season home-and-home series. The teams will meet again in Tampa on March 1.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. South Florida visits Temple on Saturday. Tulane travels to Memphis on Sunday.