TULANE TALK

March 19, 2010

Good Morning,

Tomorrow is a big day for Tulane. Our women’s basketball team will begin its march into March Madness, taking on the Georgia Lady Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 9:30 p.m. in Tempe, Ariz. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Like all of Coach Lisa Stockton’s teams, these players are disciplined and dedicated. But what makes this team special is the adversity it has had to overcome. It fought through a season plagued by injuries to win 10 of the last 11 games, winning Conference USA’s regular-season championship and the Conference USA Tournament to head back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Most importantly, these student-athletes also make the grade academically. The Green Wave is one of only 16 women’s teams in the 64-team tournament to boast a 100 percent graduation rate. Now that’s what I call a real Sweet Sixteen. Moreover, Coach Stockton, who was named Conference USA’s Coach of the Year this season for the second time in four years, boasts that every player who’s completed her eligibility in the 16 years she has been at Tulane has earned a degree.

That is quite an accomplishment and this is quite a team that is worthy of our admiration, emulation and support. Let’s cheer our team on to victory tomorrow.

Have a great weekend,