NFL Show
The George Mason Patriots play host to the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday afternoon in an interesting non-conference showdown from the United Center in Chicago. While certainly flying under the radar, both come into this weekend's showcase with winning records overall, though losing records against the spread. The Green Wave dominated in their last game, though have gone back and forth in and out of the win-loss column of late. For George Mason, four straight wins as momentum soared for this group. The last time these two teams squared off was back in 2009, in a five-point thriller, though it remains to be seen if Saturday's showdown will match that level of excitement.
While it has been an up-and-down season so far for the Green Wave, having a winning record while the non-conference portion of the campaign draws near, is certainly something that this group will be happy about. Last time out, the Green Wave turned quite a few heads, beating Buffalo by 25 points, as they made it look easy against a team that is typically one of the MAC's best. There's no doubt that Tulane's non-conference schedule has left quite a bit to be desired and they certainly don't have wins of note, as well as plenty of baffling losses. A neutral site game against a solid George Mason team should give fans a better glimpse into what they should expect to see out of the Green Wave as conference quickly approaches.
One key for Tulane this season has been their ability to stay healthy and they continue to get that good news coming into the weekend. With the depth they've been able to display so far this season, having everyone available is sure to be an advantage against the Patriots.
Another week on the honor roll for Cook??#RollWave?? pic.twitter.com/4rV4Dz1rUC
— Tulane Men's Basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) December 12, 2022
Tulane's offense has established itself as one that opponents will need to take seriously this season, ranking 45th nationally in scoring and in the top 100 in field goal percentage. Having five double-figure scorers is a blessing and it all starts with Jalen Cook (20.8 ppg). As one of the elite scorers in the conference, he's been a welcomed addition to the lineup. For as strong as the offense has been, the defense has cemented itself as one of the worst out there. Their struggles against the three and on the glass are the biggest concerns and until those are sorted out, their offensive advantages might not matter.