You know, I've been following college basketball for more than a decade now, and every season there's that one team that captures everyone's imagination - the underdog that somehow finds a way to make noise when nobody expects them to. This year, I can't help but feel Tulane might just be that team. Watching their recent dominant performance where they led 21-11 after the first quarter, extended it to 41-26 by halftime, and just kept building on that momentum to finish 81-52, I saw something special happening on that court. The way they controlled every aspect of the game, quarter after quarter, wasn't just impressive - it felt like a statement.
What really stood out to me in that game was their relentless consistency. They didn't just get hot for one quarter and then coast - they kept building, kept pushing, turning an 11-point lead into a 15-point advantage by halftime, then exploding in the third quarter to lead 66-41. That kind of sustained excellence is exactly what you need for a deep tournament run. I remember watching Gonzales hit those back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter that essentially put the game out of reach, and thinking to myself - this team has the killer instinct that so many mid-major programs lack. They don't just want to win; they want to dominate.
Now, I'll be honest - when we talk about March Madness, most casual fans probably don't have Tulane at the top of their minds. They're thinking about the Dukes and Kentuckys of the world, the traditional powerhouses that always seem to be in the conversation. But here's what those fans are missing: Tulane plays with a chip on their shoulder that you just don't see from the blue blood programs. They're hungry in a way that teams accustomed to automatic bids can't replicate. I've watched them fight through defensive possessions like their tournament lives depend on every single stop, and honestly, that intensity is contagious.
The numbers don't lie either - in that 81-52 victory, they shot 48% from the field while holding their opponents to just 36%. Their bench contributed 28 points, which tells me this isn't just a one-or-two-star show. Depth matters so much in tournament settings where you're playing multiple games in quick succession, and Tulane seems to have that covered better than most people realize. I've seen teams with flashier starting fives crash and burn because they lacked reliable options off the bench, but Tulane's second unit could probably start for half the teams in their conference.
What really gets me excited though is their defensive identity. Too many teams nowadays live and die by the three-pointer, but Tulane's defense creates opportunities in transition that are just beautiful to watch. I counted at least six fast-break points in that third quarter alone where they turned defensive stops into easy baskets before the defense could even get set. That's coaching, that's preparation, and that's the kind of basketball that travels well in tournament settings where every possession becomes precious.
I know some analysts will point to their strength of schedule or question whether they can handle the physicality of power conference teams, but I've watched them battle against ranked opponents and they never look intimidated. There was that game against Memphis earlier this season where they fell behind early but fought back to make it competitive in the second half - that kind of resilience sticks with you. Tournament basketball tests your mental toughness as much as your physical skills, and this Tulane team has shown they can handle adversity.
The way they closed out that 81-52 game says everything about their mentality. Up big in the fourth quarter, they didn't take their foot off the gas - they kept executing, kept defending, treating every possession with importance regardless of the score. That attention to detail is what separates good teams from potentially great ones. I've seen too many teams get comfortable with big leads and develop bad habits that come back to haunt them in close tournament games.
Now, making a historic run means different things to different people. For some programs, it's about reaching the Final Four, for others it's about winning multiple games when nobody expects them to. For Tulane, given their history and where they're coming from, winning just one tournament game would be massive - but something tells me they're capable of so much more. The way they're playing right now, with that beautiful balance between offensive creativity and defensive discipline, reminds me of those Loyola-Chicago and Florida Gulf Coast teams that captured the nation's heart with their unexpected deep runs.
Of course, tournament success often comes down to matchups and sometimes just plain luck - a hot shooting night from an opponent, an unfortunate bounce, or even the randomness of the bracket itself. But what I've learned from watching countless March Madness tournaments is that teams with clear identities and multiple ways to beat you tend to create their own luck. Tulane can beat you in the half-court with patient sets, they can run in transition, they can lock you down defensively - that versatility is incredibly valuable.
Will they actually make a historic run? Your guess is as good as mine, but I'll tell you this - I'm buying stock in this Tulane team. There's something about the way they've been playing lately that feels different, more sustainable than just a hot streak. That 29-point victory wasn't a fluke; it was a demonstration of what this team is capable of when everything clicks. So when you're filling out your bracket next month, don't be surprised if you find yourself penciling in Tulane for an extra game or two beyond what the "experts" predict. Sometimes you just have to trust what you see on the court, and what I've been seeing lately looks like a team ready to make some serious noise.
