It’s time for McNeese State basketball to make some noise in March.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: McNeese State basketball.
Will Wade coming to McNeese has reenergized southwestern Louisiana. In his first year at the helm after being basically the only coach actually punished for the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations, (looking at you Bruce Pearl, Bill Self, and Sean Miller) Wade brought an influx of talent into Lake Charles and almost ran the table in the Southland, save for a loss to Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond.
With an offense specializing in hitting threes, along with a defense elite at taking the ball away, McNeese completed a 150 compared to the year prior in John Aiken’s last season. (It would be a 180 but there were some good games in 22-23, have to acknowledge that.)
A quartet of double-digit scorers (Shahada Wells, Christian Shumate, Javohn Garcia, DJ Richards) led the Cowboys last year, and three of those players are coming back with the exception of Wells.
For the second straight year, Wade has brought in considerable talent through the portal, with Sincere Parker (St. Louis), Quadir Copeland (Syracuse), Bryant Selebangue (Arizona State), Brandon Murray (Ole Miss), Joe Charles (Louisiana), Jerome Brewer Jr. (Texas A&M-Commerce), Alyn Breed (Providence), and Lamont Evans IV (St. Louis) all joining the program. Parker, Copeland, and Selebangue all seem to be presumptive starters in the lineup for Wade.
What can this team do for an encore after a 30-win season? Win a game in the NCAA tournament. With Wade at the helm, Shumate, Garcia, and Richards returning, and the new group of high-level transfers, there’s a very good chance of that happening. Look out for the Pokes.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Will Wade (2nd season at McNeese, 11th season overall)
2023-24 record: 30-4 (17-1)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Gonzaga (65-86) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Shahada Wells (17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 4.5 RPG)
- Antavion Collum (8.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- CJ Felder (6.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.5 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- N/A, Unreleased
Projected Rotation
PG: Sincere Parker (6-3, 195, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.9 APG (St. Louis)
SG: Javohn Garcia (6-3, 183, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.7 APG
SF: Quadir Copeland (6-6, 200, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 9.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG (Syracuse)
PF: Christian Shumate (6-6, 213, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 12.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 0.9 APG
C: Bryant Selebangue (6-8, 225, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 4.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.4 APG (Arizona State)
6: Brandon Murray (6-5, 210, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 4.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 APG (Ole Miss)
7: DJ Richards Jr. (6-4, 185, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.7 APG
8: Joe Charles (6-9, 215, Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 11.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.1 APG (Louisiana)
9: Omar Cooper (6-0, 179, Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 3.9 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 RPG
10: Jerome Brewer Jr. (6-9, 216, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.6 APG (Texas A&M-Commerce)
11: Mike Saunders Jr. (6-0, 189, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.0 PPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 RPG
12: Alyn Breed (6-3, 190, R-Sr.)
*Didn’t play in 2023-24 (facing charges)
2022-23 stats: 4.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.5 APG (Providence)
13: T’Johnn Brown (5-11, 164, So.)
2023-24 stats: 2.3 PPG, 0.8 APG, 0.4 RPG
14: Lamont Evans IV (6-0, 155, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.0 APG (St. Louis)
McNeese Basketball Team MVP: Christian Shumate
Shumate is a bit undersized for the typical 4-5, standing at just 6’6”, but he uses all of his frame on both ends of the ball. A perpetual double-double threat, the Chicago native had the highest offensive rebounding percentage in the conference, highest total rebounding percentage, and was named the Southland Defensive Player of the Year. After averaging 0.8 BPG for two seasons in a row, he upped his average to 1.4 last year.
Offensively, he was a steady force down low, trailing only Shahada Wells in points per game. When the Cowboys needed a bucket, Shumate was there. When the opponent needed a bucket, Shumate was also there. This year, with Wells leaving, Shumate is the unquestioned returning leader, likely to earn all-conference honors again.
McNeese State Basketball make-or-break player: Quadir Copeland
The Syracuse transfer brings immediate big-game experience to the Southland returning champs. Despite averaging just 9.3 MPG and 2.1 PPG as a freshman, he made leaps as a sophomore in terms of production and opportunity, averaging a 9.6/4.6/2.3 statline for the Orange last season.
Standing at 6’6”, he has the length to defend on the perimeter, gathering 1.5 SPG last year in 22.4 MPG. Offensively, his 2PT% improved from 40.6% to 53.3%, and his 3PT% improved from 11.1% to 25.0%, still not great but clearly better. The potential is sky-high here. Will Wade can help Copeland reach it.
Key analytic: Opponent 2PM per game
Whether it was due to opponent difficulty/strength of schedule, McNeese’s defense simply smothered opponents once they ventured inside the arc. Were they particularly good at blocking? Not really, with their mark of 3.4 ranking 174th in the nation. However, as a team, eight players had at least 1.0 defensive win shares, and the trio of Wells, Garcia, and Brown had a combined defensive plus/minus of 8.9.
McNeese State basketball didn’t have the largest size inside, with the aforementioned Shumate standing at 6’6”, and Antavion Collum, the team’s other leading rebounder, standing at 6’7” as well. The defensive metrics of this team inside the arc really just rested on a mix of three things: strong depth, Will Wade’s defensive schemes, and a not-so-strong strength of schedule. But all three of those factors return this year, which bodes well for the Cowboys. This team is in line for another impressive performance on the defensive end.
McNeese State Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the Southland
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen Exit