Tulane Men's Basketball Star Point Guard Setting Tone for His Teammates

A Tulane Green Wave point guard is leading the way for his team since AAC play began.

Jan 30, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave guard Rowan Brumbaugh (7) drives to the basket against Memphis Tigers forward Dain Dainja (42) during the second half at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season, Tulane Green Wave head coach Ron Hunter had one pressing need; point guard.

The team struggled throughout the previous campaign because they lacked a true lead guard on the roster.

Not having a point guard is similar to a football team lacking at the quarterback position, as it is tough to get the rest of the team organized without one.

Looking to address that major need, Hunter and his staff hit a home run when they landed Georgetown Hoyas transfer Rowan Brumbaugh.

Despite only being a sophomore, he was among the most experienced players on this year’s Green Wave roster. With zero seniors and several players who had limited Division I playing time, his presence would be key to the team finding success.

There were a few bumps in the road early on, which was expected with a young team. There were some issues that needed to be ironed out and chemistry needed to be built.

Since their calendar flipped to American Athletic Conference play, Brumbaugh has taken his performance to another level and has set the tone for his teammates to follow.

He is shooting the ball nearly an identical amount in conference as he was out of conference, averaging 11.3 attempts per game. Where he has shown improvement is with his efficiency, as he is shooting 44.2% overall and 40.4% from 3-point range.

Averaging a healthy 17.7 points per game, he assumed the No. 2 role behind the team’s leading scorer Kaleb Banks, sometimes even shouldering the lead-scoring role with the talented forward hitting a cold streak recently.

The former Georgetown product has made it clear that the team still has plenty of work to do despite already surpassing their AAC win total from last season (five) at the midway point this year.

"We're not just playing to compete with teams,” Brumbaugh said via Guerry Smith of NOLA.com. “We want to win the league. We're not happy that we're 6-3. We can do way better. My mindset is just to win.”

It is one thing for a player to talk the talk. But Brumbaugh has proven that he can also walk the walk, as he is providing leadership and the team is following suit.

That quote from the starting point guard came prior to their game against the UTSA Roadrunners, a matchup in which Tulane was sluggish out of the gate.

Brumbaugh struggled, going 1-for-8 from the field, but he had ice water in his veins when the team needed him late when he knocked down the game-winning free throws. He made all 11 of his attempts from the charity stripe, helping the Green Wave secure their seventh AAC victory of the campaign.

Coming into their own with Brumbaugh leading the charge, Tulane will be looking to cement their spot in the top four of the standings, facing off against the North Texas Mean Green this weekend with sole possession of third place on the line.