-
Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer
Tulane officials on Sunday night condemned the actions of a fan who made contact with Memphis standout David Jones during a court storming following the Green Wave‘s 81-79 win over the Tigers in New Orleans earlier in the day.
Video of the incident showed a man push Jones, who had his back turned, as Tulane fans spilled onto the court at Devlin Fieldhouse after the game.
Tulane officials said they’re investigating the incident.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and these are actions that are not condoned 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 highest priority and we will continue to be vigilant in this regard moving forward.”
Tulane coach Ron Hunter secured a significant win over Penny Hardaway and No. 10 Memphis in the matchup Sunday, but a discussion about storming the court and the safety of players in general — for years, a polarizing topic in college basketball — superseded the victory.
Earlier Sunday, Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark collided with a fan storming the court following Ohio State’s upset win over the Hawkeyes. After the game, Clark called it a “kind of scary” situation that could have been worse.
After Nebraska fans stormed the court on Jan. 9 following an 88-72 upset over the Purdue men in Lincoln, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said school officials are responsible for ensuring there are preparations for such situations.
“We’ve got to do something about the court storms, guys?” Painter said after the 88-72 loss. “I don’t know why institutions aren’t ready for it. What did you think was going to happen if they won? Spread the word. Spread the word before somebody gets hurt. A student from Nebraska should be able to storm the court. We’re cool. But get ready for it if that’s what you’re going to do.”