Tulane officials Sunday night condemned the actions of a fan who made contact with Memphis standout David Jones during an assault on the court following the Green Wave's 81-79 victory over the Tigers in New Orleans. the same day.
Video of the incident showed a man putting his hands on Jones, who had his back turned, as Tulane fans swarmed the field at Devlin Fieldhouse after the game.
Tulane officials said they are investigating the incident.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and these are actions that are not tolerated by Tulane Athletics or the University,” Tulane Athletics said as part of a statement. “We are following up on this matter and have been in contact with the University of Memphis and the American Athletic Conference office. Ensuring the safety of everyone at Tulane Athletics events will always be our top priority and we will continue to remain vigilant in this regard moving forward. “
Tulane coach Ron Hunter scored an important victory over Penny Hardaway and No. 10 Memphis in Sunday's matchup, but a discussion about court assault and player safety in general (for years, a topic polarizing in college basketball) replaced the discussion. victory.
Earlier on Sunday, Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark collided with a fan who stormed the court following Ohio State's upset victory over the Hawkeyes. After the game, Clark called it a “kind of scary” situation that could have been worse.
After Nebraska fans stormed the field on Jan. 9 following an 88-72 loss over the Purdue men in Lincoln, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said school officials are responsible for ensuring there are preparations for such situations.
“Do we have to do something about the storms at court, guys?” Painter said after the 88-72 loss. “I don't know why institutions aren't prepared for this. What did you think was going to happen if they won? Spread the word. Spread the word before someone gets hurt. A Nebraska student should be able to storm the court. We're fine “But be prepared for it if that's what you're going to do.”
