Coming back for round two, Will Wade and McNeese basketball are looking for an extended stay in the NCAA tournament.
General Information:
Team:Â McNeese State
Location:Â Lake Charles, LA
Record:Â 27-6 (19-1)
Head Coach:Â Will Wade (11th season, 2nd at McNeese State)
What to know about McNeese basketball:
The Cowboys took care of business and won the Southland tournament for the second year in the row, beating Lamar in the championship to book their ticket to the big dance.
Though the Pokes entered last season’s NCAA tournament as a trendy upset pick after a 30-3 record, they were thoroughly demolished by Gonzaga. After falling to South Dakota State in the season opener, the Cowboys have flown under the radar like they’re Barry Seal. (Another piece of Louisiana history.)
Will Wade’s team is 22-1 in their past 23 teams, and they might be deeper than last year’s squad, with Wade having stockpiled former Power Five talent on the Cowboys’ roster. Gone is the perimeter magician Shahada Wells, (playing in Greece) but McNeese has levels of skill on the team still.
Sincere Parker *comes off the bench* to average 12.1 PPG, arguably the best sixth man in the country, statistically. Javohn Garcia, who started every game for last year’s McNeese squad, is pacing the team with 12.9 PPG and was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year. Returnee Christian Shumate is making 70.0% of his shots within the arc, ranking within the 99th percentile.
DJ Richards Jr. hits on 44.6% of his threes, the highest mark in the conference. And over his past five games, he has an eFG% of 102.0%. That’s not a typo. He’s legitimately shooting 15-21 from deep, 3-4 inside the arc, and 11-12 from the line in his past five games. Most players can’t even do that in an open gym.
And we can’t forget about Joe Charles down low, or Brandon Murray and Quadir Copeland, two physical guards, in the backcourt. This team has size, it has production, and it has everything needed to match up against Power Five teams.
NCAA Tournament prediction for McNeese State basketball: Sweet 16 exit
Seed: 12
Casuals may sleep on McNeese this year, untrusting after a dud of a performance last year and the fact that Will Wade might not be hiding the fact that he’s already taken a deal to coach elsewhere after this season. But do not sleep, please. This team hit their stride at the right time, and they’re capable of beating tournament-level teams.
In the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Cowboys lost close on the road to Alabama (eight points) and at a “neutral” site in Tupelo to the Bulldogs of Mississippi State (by just three points). “But George, that doesn’t prove they can beat Clemson,” you might say. I would argue that losing to Alabama on the road by single digits means a team is certainly capable of beating Clemson.
If they were to get by the Tigers, (certainly not a guarantee, as the Tigers are one of the most balanced squads in the tournament) they would face either Purdue or High Point, considerably easier than defeating Clemson. In a world of sleepers, choose to be awake in picking McNeese to advance. (Or at least make it close this time.)