Tulane calls fan shoving Memphis basketball star David Jones 'unacceptable'

The actions of a Tulane fan in the aftermath of the basketball team's win over Memphis Sunday has brought some undesirable national attention to the Green Wave.

As soon as Tulane's 81-79 victory went final, much of the sold-out crowd stormed the court to celebrate with the Green Wave. After all, it was the program's first win over a team ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 since the 1982-83 season. The Tigers were ranked 10th in the AP poll last week.

But a video clip of the fans rushing the floor went viral because an unidentified shirtless man wearing a white baseball cap put his hands on Memphis star David Jones. The Tigers' guard was seated on the floor after missing a potential game-winning field goal. As Jones was helped up by teammate Jahvon Quinerly, the Tulane fan appeared to shove Jones in the back.

Tulane released a statement Sunday, which was obtained by The Commercial Appeal Monday morning, condemning the actions of the fan.

"This type of behavior is unacceptable and these are actions that are not condoned by Tulane Athletics or the University," the statement reads. "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."

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Also, an AAC spokesperson told The Commercial Appeal it took swift action following the incident.

"The conference has reviewed its existing postgame security and mitigation procedures with game operations staffs at member schools and reemphasized the protocols for the safe exit of the visiting team and game officials," the spokesperson said.

The incident happened within an hour of another high-profile court-storming incident. Following Ohio State women's basketball upsetting Iowa on Sunday, Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark was knocked down by a Buckeyes fan.

Both incidents have spawned plenty of commentary on the safety concerns surrounding court-storming.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: David Jones shoved by fan, Tulane reacts