New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Week 8 Recap

Greyson Jenkins • October 27, 2025

The Saints officially hold the #1 overall pick… and the Tyler Shough Era has begun.


New Orleans Saints 3 - 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers


This game was a tough watch. There weren’t many positives, and the offense looked the worst it has all season, including the pathetic performances against the Bears and Seahawks from earlier on. The defense held the Buccaneers to 16 offensive points, and yet the Buccaneers were so in control of the game that they were able to put their second stringers in. That shouldn’t happen. 


The Positives

Get ready for the shortest positives section of the season. There is not one positive from the offensive side of the ball, but surprisingly, there are a couple on the defensive side. 

Chase Young once again made his presence felt on the opposing team, having a tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. You can clearly see that he is a good building block for this team for the future when healthy, but he needs someone on the other side who can help restrict quarterbacks to staying in the pocket. If the Saints get a top-tier edge rusher to go across from Chase Young next season, the team may have something going for them in terms of a pass rush. 

The young secondary played well. Kool-Aid McKinstrey and Quincy Riley both looked prepared and ready to cover a better group of receivers, as neither allowed any big plays. Even more noteworthy, the Bucs attempted two fades on Kool-Aid, neither of which they were able to complete. He was able to completely shut both down to the point where he had two very good opportunities for interceptions, and the receivers had to play defense. As the season goes on, I’d like to see Kool-Aid turn opportunities like that into turnovers, especially if the offense won’t be able to do much themselves.

The Negatives


If I wanted to, I could write up negatives for every single person at every position on offense, but I don’t want to waste my Sunday night doing so. Instead, I am going to focus on the biggest negatives on this side of the ball and how I feel they will affect this season. 

Rashid Shaheed looked like a pure “speed guy” out there. Although you may not see it from the box score if you were unable to watch the game, Rashid Shaheed had a horrid performance today. He had two catches that led to fumbles called on the field returned for touchdowns, with one being overturned to incomplete, and the other a touchdown that the refs wrongfully said they “blew dead”. This preseason, everyone at training camp discussed how well Shaheed was doing, and that this season might be his breakout season as a do-it-all receiver. I was so overhyped from all of these discussions that I believed he could even potentially surpass Olave as the WR1. Clearly, I’m an idiot and have no clue what I was thinking there. This game showed that Shaheed, a great speed threat, may never be a go-to guy for quarterbacks to rely on when needing tough catches. Do I think Shaheed is one of the best speedy receivers in the league? Absolutely. Do I love Shaheed and want him to stay on the Saints? Yes. However, I feel it is in the Saints' best interest, as well as Shaheed’s, to trade him to anyone offering a 4th or better. This obviously decreases the explosiveness of this receiver room, but provides more opportunities for Vele to step up alongside Olave. For Shaheed, it also means he could be traded to a contender and used for what he does best, scoring on deep balls. 

Spencer Rattler had another tough game with multiple turnovers, one fumble on a scramble (second straight game with a fumble on the first offensive drive), and an interception for a touchdown thrown straight into a defensive end’s arms. Did I mention that both turnovers were forced by the same person, Anthony Nelson? I didn’t because it doesn’t really matter outside of trivial means, but it was definitely an impressive performance for him. Anyways, outside of the turnovers for Spencer Rattler, his performance wasn’t “terrible”. He had 136 yards through 15 completions on 21 attempts. I do not think at all that this offense is bad solely because of him, because he has shown positive moments, and I do believe he could succeed with better personnel around him. That being said, he wasn’t playing well enough to keep Tyler Shough off the field. Kellen Moore said he was looking for a spark by putting in Shough, but is unsure of who will be the starter next week. In my opinion, you can’t really afford to go back to Rattler after benching him mid-game, and I think you have to go and see what Shough can do the rest of the year, good or bad. 

There are definitely many more negatives to discuss, such as Trevor Penning showing he isn’t worth being brought back, the penalties galore, and don’t even get me started on Juwan Johnson (if I could roll my eyes through the screen for you, I would). This Saints team is in desperate need of young talent, yet it only possesses five draft picks for the upcoming draft. Mickey Loomis and the rest of the Saints’ front office have put them in a terrible spot, and it is hard to see a way for Kellen Moore to claw this team out of it quickly. 

 

Closing and Team MVPs


I really don’t know what to say about this Saints team. There are only about 10 or so guys that I’d keep right now if everyone were a free agent, and none of them are “stars”... yet, at least. I am excited to see what Tyler Shough has in him, and I like that Kellen Moore is willing to make the move, even if it doesn’t end up working out. The Saints now have the #1 overall pick in the draft, so if they lose out, so be it. The rest of this season is for figuring out if Shough is decent enough to prevent the team from drafting another quarterback in April, and I am praying the team doesn’t have to. 


Offensive MVP: NONE. 


Defensive MVP: Chase Young. (great to see)


Special Teams MVP: NONE. (Good to see Blake make one though)


A quick share helps us a lot!

By Drake LeBlanc October 27, 2025
Business Trip to Houston The Southeastern Lions stayed hot over the weekend, defeating the Houston Christian Huskies 38-14 on the road in Houston. With the win, the Lions improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Southland Conference play, extending their winning streak and increasing their chances at sole ownership of the Southland Conference.
By Patrick Harkness October 27, 2025
In Memory of Gregg Glenn III Head coach Ron Hunter, now in his seventh year at the helm (89-89), has gradually transformed Tulane into a team that can contend. Alot of optimism surrounds the team with the Wave being picked to finish third in the American Conference. Compared to last season's team, Ron will be counting on more leadership especially with a vet savvy team. Development and chemistry will also be key with some younger players from last season stepping into bigger roles. That being said THE Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team enters the 2025-2026 season with high expectations. After losing 5 players to the transfer portal including key players like Kam Williams, Kaleb Banks and Mari Jordan, Ron Hunter wasted no time in hitting the portal and the 2025 recruiting class. Ron and his coaching staff were able to haul in 4 transfer portal players and 2 freshmen. The 4 transfers look to immediately help out the team and hit the ground running while the two freshmen look to slowly get involved as the season progresses. Rowan Brumbaugh and Asher Woods received pre-season accolades for the Wave. Rowan was picked as Pre-Season Conference Player of the Year and Asher Woods was picked as second team all-conference. As a team Tulane was picked to finish 3rd in the American Conference. Ron has stated “I'm not worried about pre-season rankings, all I'm focusing on is getting the team ready and winning the American Conference and Post-Season play, we are good enough to do that” In my season preview I'll go over transfer departures, transfer additions, the recruiting class of 2025, positional breakdown, projected lineups and scouting reports on recruits/transfers/returning players Coaching Staff Head Coach Ron Hunter 7th season 89-89 at Tulane Associate Head Coach Ray McCallum Assistant Coach Claude Pardue Assistant Coach Sean Mock Assistant Coach Gebereal Baitey Assistant Coach Rj Hunter Supporting Staff Director of Basketball Operations Nate Summers Senior Athletic Trainer Quinton Nease Assistant Coach/Strength and Conditioning Dan Rickaby Assistant Director/Student Development and Video Ben Miner Last Years AAC Standings Memphis 16-2 Conf 29-6 Overall North Texas 14-4 27-9 UAB 13-5 24-13 Tulane 12-6 19-15 Florida Atlantic 10-8 18-16 East Carolina 10-8 19-14 Temple 9-9 17-15 Wichita State 8-10 19-15 South Florida 6-12 13-19 Tulsa 6-12 13-20 UTSA 6-12 12-19 Rice 4-14 13-19 Charlotte 3-15 11-22 Roster 0 Tyler Ringgold-F. 6-8/225. R-SO 1 Josh "JoJo" Moore-G. 6-4/205. SO 2 Gregg Glenn III-F. 6-7/240. SR 5 Scotty Middleton-G/F. 6-6/165 JR 7 Rowan Brumbaugh-G. 6-4/185 R-JR 9 KJ Greene-G. 6-3/170 SO 11 Luke Rasmussen-G/F. 6-8/215 R-SO 13 Joseph Teich-G. 5-10/155 SO 15 Robert Moore-G. 6-6/180 FR 22 Asher Woods-G. 6-3/190 SR 23 Percy Daniels-F/C. 6-10/230 SR 32 Luke Cronin-F. 6-8/210 JR 34 Jake Shapiro-G. 6-1/190 R-SO 55 Davion Bradford-C. 7-0/265 SR 77 Vasilije "Vas" Kuridza-F. 6-9/235 FR 99 Curtis Williams Jr-G/F. 6-6/180 JR Transfer Departures Logan Stephens - The Junior Guard who came over from Rutgers 2 years ago never really was able to find ground in the Tulane lineup. When they first got Logan, I thought he could potentially be a key bench guy down the road, but things never really clicked for him here. Best of luck. 8 GP, 5.9 min, 26.7%, 2.3 pts. Kam Williams -(Kentucky) Kam Williams was phenomenal for the Wave last year. It took him several games to find his shot but when he did it was electric. By the end of the season Kam was one of the best players on the team. Kam will be a very hard player to replace but this coaching staff has a plan to use multiple guys to make up for his play. 33 GP, 32 min, 48.5 FG%, 41.2 3PT%, 4.5 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.1 blk, 1.4 stl, 9.3 pts. Kaleb Banks- (DePaul) Kaleb started the season on fire from beyond the arc but as the season progressed, he got a little streaky and seemed to fade a little as the season got closer to the end. Either way he was a great player for the wave last season and will also be a tough player to replace. Like I said for Kam it's going to take a couple of players to replace his play on the court. 32 GP, 31 min, 50.6 FG%, 34.1 3PT%, 6.7 reb, 1 ast, 1.3 blk, 14.7 pts Mari Jordan - (Radford) I was really surprised that Mari left and he went to Radford out of all the places. He was mostly inconsistent on the year but when he got hot, he really helped out the Green Wave. The very first game of the year he balled out and got 18 points but that was against a really bad team, but you got to see his potential. Mari finished the season strong and for the entire year he finished in double digit points 12 times. Mari Jordan was only a freshman last year and was still learning to play at the collegiate level so I figured he would've come back and be a key player in the lineup, potentially being the number two guy next to Asher Woods and Rowan. 32 GP, 19.6 min, 39.5 FG%, 34.9 3 PT%, 3.6 reb, 7 pts Spencer Elliot - I really liked Spencer when Tulane first got him in his recruiting cycle and after a year of college ball under his belt I thought he could potentially be a guy off the bench to help out. In the limited amount of time he got on the court you could see the potential but you could also tell he lacked the confidence and aggressiveness to be successful at this level. I still have a lot of faith in Spencer and in the right system I think he can succeed. Best of Luck! 16 GP, 5.3 min, 1.1 reb, .9 pts Transfer Additions Josh “JoJo” Moore - (Oral Roberts) A versatile Playmaker with the ball in his hands and can be dynamic in the open court. The most athletic player on the team. Ron Hunter: “He came over from Oral Roberts so he's getting used to the speed and size. Started off a little slow but is starting to pick it up and figuring out the system. No question he will be a part of the rotation.” 27.5 min, 10.9 pts, 49.4% FG, 4.4 reb, 2.2 ast Curtis Williams Jr -(Georgetown) A shot making big wing who is versatile and a scoring threat when the ball is in his hands. Williams can be a weapon with his ability to shoot. He has a good mid-range jumper and knows how to attack the rim. A skilled rebounder and can play some defense. 33 GP, 15.4 min, 40% FG, 30% 3PT, 73% FT, 1.8 reb, 4.7 pts Scotty Middleton - (Seton Hall) Scotty is definitely a Ron Hunter type of player. He can score from all three levels of the court. He plays pretty good defense but needs to get stronger. Good size and long arms. Has good range on his jumper and can play above the rim. 29 GP, 21 min, 43.4% FG, 38.4 3PT%, 77% FT, 2.3 reb, 5.8 pts Davion Bradford - (East Tenn State) Big strong center who started his career at Kansas State. As a true freshman with Kansas State Bradford was averaging 21 min, 4.3 reb and 7.7 pts. In the right system his potential can be sky high. He's very active around the rim and has the potential to be a scoring threat but should immediately help the wave out in the rebounding and defense department. Davion was one of the most improved players on the team this offseason. Ron Hunter: "Great Character Guy" 25 GP, 11 min, 52.4 % FG, 2.4 reb, 2.5 pts Luke Cronin- (D-3 Yeshiva U)- Walk-on. Started 22 games in D-3 averaging 5.8 points with 5 boards and 3 assists. In the 22 games he averaged 20 min. Started his career at George Washington where he played in 4 games for a total of 6 min. In High School he was named County and All-Long Island in 2022 and 2023. He received All-State in 2023 and played in the Philly All-American Game. Recruiting Additions Robert Moore - 3 Star/87. Ranked 138 in the nation on rivals and the 31st best shooting guard. During his prep career Moore earned All-Region honors three times and was named All-Lowcountry in South Carolina. He also won the Sniper Award at the 2024 Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas. In his debut at the camp, he knocked down five three-pointers on his way to a 23-point performance on 8-of-13 shooting overall. Moore has proven to be a pure and effective shooter during his high school career. This season during his senior campaign he drained 12 shots from beyond the arc in a single game. He also sharpened his skills on the court playing for the AAU Upward Stars program on the Adidas Circuit. -Tulane Athletic dept SR: His skill should be able to help and contribute to the Green Wave this season. He really can shoot the 3-Ball from multiple areas of the court. With his size he's able to finish strong and has the ability to create plays. Robert is a smart player/scorer and playmaker. Moore has led the team in scoring in a couple of scrimmages this season. Ron Hunter: “Phenomenal Shooter and a very skilled basketball player who has a great feel for the game, real opportunity for him to play this season” Vasilije “Vas” Kuridza - A skilled forward who Tulane brought in late in the process and it's his first time in the United States. Played with the Bosnia U18 National Team for three seasons…Averaged 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22 career games with the national youth team… Helped the Bosnia U18 team finish 18th in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B, 14th in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B, and 6th in the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B… Also participated in club competition including playing two years with KK Igokea in the Bosnian League and the ABA League and spending one season with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2023 Europe Basketball Without Borders (BWB) organized by the NBA and FIBA… Averaged 6.7 points and 6.2 points during his two seasons with KK Igokea and 2.8 points in four games during the BWB Europe 2023… Helped KK Igokea win the 2023 Bosnian Youth Basketball Champions League. - Tulane Athletic Dept They found Vas through a friend and got in contact with his agent to bring him in. -Coach Sean Mock Ron Hunter: “He’s still learning everything between the culture and how to play in the Tulane system. He's a very talented player, so talented I want to find a way for him to play this season, but I don't want to rush him” Ron seems very excited to get him in the door and start working with him. Fun Fact: Ron said Vasilije's favorite food is shrimp so he's going to fit right in. 8.8 pts, 7.5 reb, 2.5 ast, 50% FG, 55% FT, 2.5 ast, 3.0 stl Returning Players Tyler Ringgold - Tyler really showed his potential in the first two games of the year defensively and offensively. In those two contests he tallied 20 points,13 reb, 2 ast, and 3 blk. Tyler is a very good defensive player and has a lot of promise offensively. I'm expecting a big jump from him this year and really help out the Wave on both ends of the court. Expect him to crash the boards and lock down defenders. Ron Hunter: "Tyler is working on his corner three shot" 11 min, 43% FG, 21% 3PT, 69% FT, 2.4 reb, 3.6 pts Rowan Brumbaugh - Will be the key for Tulane this season. Rowan is a true Quarterback for this Green Wave team scoring and passing the ball. Last season he played in all 34 games earning All-AAC First Team and Newcomer of the year. He collected 20 or more points in 9 games and had a career high of 25 points. In 17 games last year he had at least 5 assists and a career high of 11. This year he received the Pre-Season Player of the Year. Rowan told me aspects of his game he wants to improve: "My 3-point percentage and making the first simple read. Getting better at what I do." 35 min, 41 FG%, 35% 3PT, 81% FT, 4 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.6 stl, 15.5 pts KJ Greene - The highest recruit in Tulane basketball history returns for the Wave. He played sparingly last season 25 out of 34 games but still got good time for a true freshman. KJ was inconsistent at times and a little turnover prone, but he was a true freshman learning the college level of play. KJ has the ability to be a good PG and shows a lot of promise in facilitating the basketball to other players for the score, very good passer. In 3 games he recorded three assists and 5 pts. His career high was against UAB when he scored 9 pts on 4 of 5 shooting. 7 min, 39% FG, 28% 3PT, 65% FT, 1.5 pts Luke Rasmussen - A big guard/forward (6-8) who has potential down the road with Tulane. We may get to see what Luke has with the lack of depth at the power forward position. Has a good three ball and can crash the boards. Redshirted this past season. 2 years ago, at Lafayette College averaged 2.5 pts, 1.6 reb and 14 threes made. Best game was against army and combined for 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists Joseph Teich - Was a walk-on last year who got into 9 games as a freshman. Knocked down a three pointer late in the contest against USC in the College Basketball Crown. Asher Woods - Asher is building off a very strong season from last year and its showing in offseason workouts and practices. Ron Hunter: “Asher has been practicing very well for this team and is becoming a vocal leader by taking players under his wing”. Like coach said Woods has also taken on a leadership role for the Wave this season and also been a mentor for a new transfer player. Asher has been helping with the development of newcomer Josh “JoJo” Moore. Woods is really excited to be the leader in the locker room and for the younger guys. I talked to Asher about his personnel goals/team goals and areas of his game he wants to improve: “I'm always focused on the team and just showing up every day, we got a group of guys who can win. Playing one day at a time and being consistent." " Being more effective in every aspect of the game, understanding the details like film and being aggressive at all times, knowing my role” 11.5 pts, 2.5 reb, 2.4 ast, 42.3 FG%, 33.6% 3PT Percy Daniels - I'm expecting a jump from Percy this season, on the court and as a vocal leader. Last season he got in on 34 contests and was inconsistent at times but when he was on, he provided a defensive spark and a guy who could score around the rim. As the season progresses this year, I could see him gaining some confidence and being a good starter or key guy off the bench. Expect Percy to come in at the Power Forward position this year. 10 min, 66% FG, 66% FT, 1.7 reb, .8 blk, 1.6 pts Jake Shapiro - The walk-on got into 9 contests last season averaging 1.4 min with .7 pts. Jake knocked down a three against two teams last season, Southern Miss and UTSA. Most Improved Offseason Player Davion Bradford- "DB" has been practicing so well with the team that they had to start changing/tweaking the offense to get him more involved with the ball around the rim. A real quality post player. Ron Hunter: " Really impressed and floored with how talented he is. DB could turn out to be really special." Key Players This Season 1. Rowan Brumbaugh 2. Asher Woods 3. Scotty Middleton Break Out Player's 1. KJ Greene 2. Davion Bradford 3. Tyler Ringgold Positional Breakdown PG Rowan Brumbaugh will be the quarterback of the room, expect another big season from the Redshirt Junior who received Pre-Season Player of the Year honors. KJ Greene should be the first one off the bench to come in for Rowan. Expect a jump from him this season with a year under his belt, could also see Rowan going out to SG and Greene at point. Asher Woods also has the ability to come in and play PG if need be. SG Asher Woods the Pre-Season 2nd team All-Conference SG really started to play well as the season went on. Woods has the potential to be a really good ball player, and I think he has a chance at All-First team conference when the season is over. The first guy off the bench could be multiple of guys depending on the situation. Josh "JoJo" Moore and Curtis Williams, two new transfer's both have the ability to come off the bench and be productive for Tulane and give them a little spark. I could also see Scotty Middelton moving from SF to SG in certain situations. SF Scotty Middelton could be the dark horse of this team. He fits perfectly into this style of play. Started his career at Ohio State where he got in 30 games and played fairly well for a true freshman. If he can get some confidence and put everything together watch out Tulane fans. Just like SG this position as well could see different guys come in and play. Curtis Williams and true freshman Robert Moore. Curtis comes over from Georgetown where he played in 33 games, a skilled jump shooter and rebounder who can also play defense. Robert Moore a very skilled shooter from beyond the arc could be lighting in a bottle and a key spark off the bench if things aren't going the Waves way and they need some big 3's. PF This position gets a little tricky with the lack of depth, but Tyler Ringgold should take over this spot, a very skilled defender and rebounder. Has the potential to find his three ball and knows how to score inside with aggression. Tyler could very well be the leader defensively for this team. The international recruit Tulane got late in the process is Vasilije "VAS" Kuridza. Vas is a skilled forward who has the potential to help Tulane out down the road. Percy Daniels is expected to come in and play the 4 spot, more of a traditional style of play. Something that Tulane basketball hasn't seen in a while. C Percy Daniels returns for the Green Wave and should get the starting nod but keep a very close eye on Davion Bradford. Davion has been practicing very well for Tulane and they're tweaking the offense just for him. Both Percy and Davion will be splitting time throughout the season. Expecting good thing's from the big men. Projected Lineups PG- Rowen Brumbaugh SG- Asher Woods SF- Scotty Middleton PF- Tyler Ringgold/Percy Daniels C- Percy Daniels/Davion Bradford Backups PG- KJ Greene SG- Josh "JoJo" Moore SF- Curtis Williams/Robert Moore PF- Percy Daniels/Curtis Williams/Robert Moore/Scotty Middleton C- Davion Bradford/Percy Daniels Recruiting Class of 2026- 1 Commit Tobias Brinkley (CG/SF) 6-6/180- 4 star on ESPN and 7th best prospect in Georgia. SR: (Good court vision and great passer. Versatility allows him to create separation and scoring opportunities for himself and other teammates, a true offensive threat. Relentless, hustles and a smart player. Brinkley shows the size and skill at the shooting guard and small forward position) Class of 2026 Recruits Gregory “Pops” Dunson-PG- 6-0/185. 3 Star/88 Javonte Floyd-C- 6-9/220. 3 Star/88 Collin Ross-PF- 6-9/200. 4 Star/90. Currently committed to VCU Tyshawn Duncan-C- 6-8/215. 4 Star/90 Currently committed to Louisiana Harris Reynolds-SG- 6-4/170. 4 Star/90. Visiting several schools Tulane not listed Joseph Hartman-PG- 6-6/193. 4 Star/90. Currently committed to Michigan Julian Washington-CG- 6-4/180. Final four Cincinnati, Dayton, FAU, Northern Iowa Class of 2027 Evan Toms-C- 6-9/225. Tulane Offer Ty Shine-G- 6-2. Tulane Offer Allen Shaw-PG- 5-10/160. Attended Tulane Camp Class of 28 Christian Clair-CG- 6-1/158. Schedule Nov 3, 2025 vs Samford 8:30 pm Nov 8, 2025 vs Texas St. 2:00 pm Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse Nov 11, 2025 @ Louisiana TBA Cajundome Nov 14, 2025 vs New Orleans 7:30 pm ESP+ Nov 21, 2025 vs Utah St. 1:00 pm ESP2 TD Arena Nov 28, 2025 vs Nicholls 3:00 pm Dec 2, 2025 vs Grambling St. 7:30 pm Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse Dec 6, 2025 vs Akron 4:00 pm Dec 10, 2025 vs Tougaloo 7:30 pm Dec 13, 2025 vs UC San Diego 11:30 pm Lee's Family Forum Dec 17, 2025 vs La. Tech 7:30 pm Dec 20, 2025 vs Portland St. 7:30 pm Dec 31, 2025 @ East Carolina TBA Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Jan 4, 2026 vs FAU TBA Jan 10, 2026 @ UTSA TBA Jan 14, 2026 vs UAB TBA Jan 18, 2026 vs North Texas TBA Jan 21, 2026 @ FAU TBA Jan 25, 2026 @ Charlotte TBA Dale F. Halton Arena Jan 28, 2026 vs South Florida TBA Feb 1, 2026 @ Memphis TBA Feb 8, 2026 vs Wichita St. TBA Feb 11, 2026 vs Temple TBA Feb 15, 2026 @ UAB TBA Feb 18, 2026 @ North Texas TBA The Super Pit Feb 22, 2026 vs Rice TBA Feb 25, 2026 vs Tulsa TBA Mar 1, 2026 @ South Florida TBA ESP+ Mar 4, 2026 @ Temple TBA Mar 8, 2026 vs Memphis TBA Roll Wave!! This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.
Show More