# 2023–24 McNeese Cowboys basketball team

The 2023–24 McNeese Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, led by first-year head coach Will Wade, played their home games on-campus at The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference.
The Cowboys finished the season 30–4, 17–1 in Southland play, to finish as Southland regular-season champions. They defeated Lamar and Nicholls to win the Southland tournament title, earning their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2002. In the NCAA tournament, they received the #12 seed in the Midwest Region, where they fell to Gonzaga in the first round.

## Preseason polls
### Southland Conference Poll

The Southland Conference released its preseason poll on October 10, 2023. Receiving 142 votes overall and six first-place votes, the Cowboys were picked to finish second in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Southeastern | 144 (6) |
| 2 | McNeese | 142 (6)' |
| 3 | New Orleans | 132 (3) |
| 4 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 124 (5) |
| 5 | Northwestern State | 84 |
| 6 | Nicholls | 71 |
| 7 | Texas A&M–Commerce | 66 |
| 8 | Houston Christian | 50 |
| 9 | Lamar | 45 |
| 10 | Incarnate Word | 42 |

### Preseason All Conference

Christian Shumate, forward, and Shahada Wells, guard, were selected as first-team members of a Preseason all conference team. Javohn Garcia, guard, was selected as a second-team member.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at VCU | W 76–65 | 1–0 | 23 – S. Wells | 13 – C. Shumate | 4 – S. Wells | Siegel Center (7,637) Richmond, VA |
| November 10, 2023* 4:00 p.m., − | | Biblical Studies | W 96–55 | 2–0 | 26 – A. Collum | 8 – A. Collum | 5 – O. Cooper | The Legacy Center (2,221) Lake Charles, LA |
| November 13, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Champion Christian | W 110–46 | 3–0 | 15 – tied (2) | 10 – C. Shumate | 4 – tied (2) | The Legacy Center (1,970) Lake Charles, LA |
| November 14, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | LeTourneau | W 81–49 | 4–0 | 15 – D. Richards Jr. | 10 – C. Shumate | 6 – C. Jones | The Legacy Center (1,924) Lake Charles, LA |
| November 18, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Western Carolina | L 74–76 | 4–1 | 37 – S. Wells | 8 – C. Shumate | 3 – S. Wells | Ramsey Center (1,916) Cullowhee, NC |
| November 21, 2023* 3:00 p.m., − | | vs. Texas State Louisiana Tech MTE | W 59–48 | 5–1 | 15 – A. Collum | 11 – A. Collum | 4 – O. Cooper | Thomas Assembly Center (132) Ruston, LA |
| November 22, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech MTE | L 62–71 | 5–2 | 15 – C. Shumate | 7 – A. Collum | 5 – S. Wells | Thomas Assembly Center (2,012) Ruston, LA |
| November 28, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UAB | W 81–60 | 6–2 | 36 – S. Wells | 21 – C. Shumate | 7 – O. Cooper | Bartow Arena (2,976) Birmingham, AL |
| December 2, 2023* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UT Martin | W 91–80 | 7–2 | 25 – S. Wells | 8 – S. Wells | 6 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (2,269) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 5, 2023* 7:00 p.m., − | | Mississippi University for Women | W 92–23 | 8–2 | 15 – D. Richards Jr. | 8 – N. Mann | 10 – O. Cooper | The Legacy Center (2,073) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 13, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southern Miss | W 67–48 | 9–2 | 24 – D. Richards Jr. | 14 – A. Collum | 4 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (3,494) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 17, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Louisiana | W 74–72 | 10–2 | 18 – S. Wells | 8 – S. Wells | 5 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (4,300) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 29, 2023* 6:00 p.m., BTN | | at Michigan | W 87–76 | 11–2 | 30 – S. Wells | 10 – S. Wells | 6 – S. Wells | Crisler Center (12,588) Ann Arbor, MI |
| Southland Conference regular season |||||||||
| January 6, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Texas A&M–Commerce | W 73–67 | 12–2 (1–0) | 25 – S. Wells | 10 – S. Wells | 5 – O. Cooper | The Field House (446) Commerce, TX |
| January 8, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Northwestern State | W 68–59 | 13–2 (2–0) | 18 – S. Wells | 10 – C. Shumate | 5 – S. Wells | Prather Coliseum (1,035) Natchitoches, LA |
| January 13, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southeastern Louisiana | W 74–65 | 14–2 (3–0) | 22 – J. Garcia | 11 – C. Shumate | 7 – S. Well | The Legacy Center (4,200) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 15, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Lamar Battle of the Border (Rivalry) | W 88–69 | 15–2 (4–0) | 21 – C. Shumate | 15 – C. Shumate | 9 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (3,487) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 20, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Incarnate Word | W 80–66 | 16–2 (5–0) | 20 – M. Saunders Jr. | 7 – C. Shumate | 6 – S. Wells | McDermott Center (376) San Antonio, TX |
| January 22, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 62–61 | 17–2 (6–0) | 12 – D. Richards Jr. | 13 – C. Shumate | 2 – tied (2) | American Bank Center (2,416) Corpus Christi, TX |
| January 27, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | New Orleans | W 102–65 | 18–2 (7–0) | 20 – S. Wells | 7 – C. Shumate | 8 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (4,200) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 29, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northwestern State | W 89–65 | 19–2 (8–0) | 15 – C. Shumate | 8 – C. Shumate | 5 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (4,058) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 3, 2024 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Southeastern Louisiana | L 74–77 | 19–3 (8–1) | 16 – C. Felder | 8 – C. Shumate | 6 – J. Garcia | Pride Roofing University Center (1,043) Hammond, LA |
| February 5, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Texas A&M–Commerce | W 77–51 | 20–3 (9–1) | 16 – S. Wells | 7 – C. Shumate | 5 – M. Saunders Jr. | The Legacy Center (3,703) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 10, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 74–67 | 21–3 (10–1) | 14 – A. Collum | 13 – C. Shumate | 7 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (4,324) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 12, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Houston Christian | W 105–54 | 22–3 (11–1) | 16 – D. Richards Jr. | 10 – C. Shumate | 6 – S. Wells | Sharp Gymnasium (924) Houston, TX |
| February 17, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Nicholls | W 74–47 | 23–3 (12–1) | 12 – C. Shumate | 12 – C. Shumate | 5 – S. Wells | Stopher Gymnasium (1,100) Thibodaux, LA |
| February 24, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Incarnate Word | W 87–71 | 24–3 (13–1) | 18 – C. Shumate | 10 – C. Shumate | 7 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (4,213) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 26, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Lamar Battle of the Border (Rivalry) | W 58–56 | 25–3 (14–1) | 23 – S. Wells | 8 – A. Collum | 2 – tied (3) | Neches Arena Beaumont, TX |
| March 2, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Nicholls | W 83–62 | 26–3 (15–1) | 17 – J. Garcia | 13 – C. Shumate | 6 – S. Welss | The Legacy Center (4,211) Lake Charles, LA |
| March 4, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Houston Christian | W 87–69 | 27–3 (16–1) | 24 – S. Wells | 11 – C. Felder | 6 – S. Wells | The Legacy Center (3,373) Lake Charles, LA |
| March 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at New Orleans | W 81–57 | 28–3 (17–1) | 15 – tied (3) | 16 – C. Shumate | 4 – A. Collum | Lakefront Arena (959) New Orleans, LA |
| Southland tournament |||||||||
| March 12, 2024 5:30 p.m., ESPNU | (1) | (4) Lamar Semifinals | W 76–57 | 29–3 | 27 – Wells | 7 – Shumate | 5 – Wells | The Legacy Center (4,200) Lake Charles, LA |
| March 13, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (1) | (3) Nicholls Championship | W 92–76 | 30–3 | 27 – Wells | 6 – Shumate | 6 – Wells | The Legacy Center (4,200) Lake Charles, LA |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2024 6:25 p.m., TBS | (12 MW) | vs. (5 MW) No. 18 Gonzaga First round | L 65–86 | 30–4 | 19 – tied (2) | 11 – C. Shumate | 3 – D. Richards Jr. | Delta Center Salt Lake City, UT |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest. All times are in Central. |||||||||
Source:

## Conference awards and honors
### Weekly awards

Weekly honors :
| Honors | Player | Position | Date awarded |
| SLC Men's Basketball Player of the Week | Shahada Wells | G | December 4, 2023 |
| SLC Men's Basketball Player of the Week | DJ Richards Jr. | G | December 18, 2023 |
| SLC Men's Basketball Player of the Week | Shahada Wells | G | January 2, 2024 |