CBB Review hands out awards for each conference tournament in 2024. Up next: The Southland Tournament.
It’s the year of the Cowboys, y’all. With the introduction of Will Wade as head coach, McNeese immediately vaulted to the top of the conference and proceeded to stay there for the rest of the season. Besides a slight stumble against Southeastern Louisiana and two last-second shots against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar, the Pokes were mostly dominant all year.
An ultra-talented, deep, and athletic roster didn’t just take down the Southland Tournament, they also held their own in the non-conference portion of the schedule, beating UAB and Michigan. The Southland Tournament preview article had McNeese beating Corpus Christi in the final, and while the Cowboys obviously did win, they did so against Nicholls by a 92-76 margin. Will Wade is going dancing again. Life is good.
CBB Review Southland Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Shahada Wells, McNeese
Wells, who transferred in from TCU in the offseason, has been the best player in the SLC not just offensively but also on the defensive end. The heartbeat of the team dropped two straight 27-point outings with three and four steals in the two conference tournament games.
Despite standing at just six feet tall, Wells is that dude. He’s the guy that millions of Americans will watch in the first weekend and ask themselves where he came from. He’s from Amarillo, Texas, spent a year at UT-Arlington, two at TCU, and now is in his first season with the Pokes in Lake Charles.
One might think that having 3-4 steals per game in a conference tournament is an exceptional feat. It is. But Wells has been doing this. In fact, he’s recorded at least three steals in every one of his past eight games. He’s recorded 11 games of 4+ steals this season and is second out of all D-I players with 3.0 SPG.
Wells ranks third in the NCAA in win shares, fourth in steal percentage, third in defensive rating, 18th in box plus/minus, 19th in offensive win shares, 20th in PER, and first in defensive win shares. These are all out of thousands of players, and hundreds of teams. And Wells is in the upper echelon in all those categories. The top 0.1%. That’s Shahada Wells.
CBB Review All-Southland Tournament First Team
- G: Shahada Wells, McNeese – 2 GP (27.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 RPG, 3.5 SPG, 50.0 FG%, 40.0 3P%)
- G: Javohn Garcia, McNeese – 2 GP (15.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 61.1 FG%)
- F: Christian Shumate, McNeese – 2 GP (11.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.0 APG, 66.7 FG%)
- F: Terry Anderson, Lamar – 2 GP (18.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.0 APG)
- F: Diante Smith, Nicholls – 3 GP (23.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 53.3 FG%, 42.1 3P%)
McNeese’s NCAA Tournament Prediction
Sweet Sixteen
Cue “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. I believe in Will Wade and the Pokes. I believe in Lake Charles. I believe in what this team is capable of. The only thing holding this team back is the selection committee, which will likely put the Cowboys in as a 12 seed.
That means, of course, they’re going to probably play two ranked opponents in three days. I know they can get it done. This is Napoleon’s return. Europe is quaking in their boots. Wells, Shumate, Garcia. Don’t forget Antavion Collum, who hit a huge three-pointer late to send Lamar home sad in late February. DJ Richards Jr. just dropped 16 off the bench in the title game. CJ Felder, Omar Cooper, and Mike Saunders fill out a very strong eight-man rotation that ranks ninth in 3PT% (38.8%), fourth in SPG (10.4), and 28th in TOPG (9.8). Any time a team is getting more steals than they have turnovers committed, that’s going to be a very good team. Also on the defensive end is just an all-around elite defense, allowing just a 38.5 FG% from opponents, good for 2nd in D-I.
And on top of all these stats, a reminder that they’re coached by Will Wade. Please, I’m begging you to put this team on your radar. Sweet Sixteen, y’all.