# 2024–25 McNeese Cowboys basketball team

The 2024–25 McNeese Cowboys basketball team represents McNeese State University in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, led by second-year head coach Will Wade, play their home games on-campus at The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference.

## Previous season

The Cowboys finished the 2023–24 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 16, 2024. Receiving 143 votes overall and 21 first-place votes, the Cowboys were picked to finish first in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | McNeese | 242 (21) |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin | 208 |
| 3 | Nicholls | 205 (3) |
| 4 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 191 |
| 5 | Lamar | 143 |
| 6 | Southeastern | 121 |
| 7 | Incarnate Word | 117 |
| 8 | UT Rio Grande Valley | 112 |
| 9 | Northwestern State | 90 |
| 10 | Texas A&M–Commerce | 54 |
| 10 | New Orleans | 54 |
| 12 | Houston Christian | 48 |

### Preseason All Conference

Christian Shumate, Quadir Copeland and Joe Charles were selected as first-team members of a preseason all-conference team. Javohn Garcia and Brandon Murray were selected as second-team members.

## 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 4, 2024* 5:00 p.m., YouTube | | vs. South Dakota State Field of 68 Showcase | L 73–80 | 0–1 | 18 – A. Breed | 9 – C. Shumate | 2 – J. Garcia | Sanford Pentagon (2,878) Sioux Falls, SD |
| November 7, 2024* 7:30 p.m. | | Biblical Studies | W 111–57 | 1–1 | 21 – J. Garcia | 8 – O. Cooper | 13 – O. Cooper | The Legacy Center (3,036) Lake Charles, LA |
| November 11, 2024* 6:00 p.m., SECN | | at No. 2 Alabama | L 64–72 | 1–2 | 19 – S. Parker | 9 – J. Charles | 2 – A. Breed | Coleman Coliseum (13,474) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| November 18, 2024* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at North Texas | W 68–61 | 2–2 | 18 – S. Parker | 9 – J. Charles | 8 – O. Cooper | UNT Coliseum (3,537) Denton, TX |
| November 22, 2023* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Illinois State Paradise Jam quarterfinal | W 76–68 | 3–2 | 16 – J. Garcia | 7 – 2 tied | 5 – O. Cooper | Sports and Fitness Center (1,535) St. Thomas, USVI |
| November 24, 2024* 4:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Longwood Paradise Jam semifinal | W 84–69 | 4–2 | 31 – S. Parker | 6 – J. Charles | 3 – B. Murray | Sports and Fitness Center (2,225) St. Thomas, USVI |
| November 25, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Liberty Paradise Jam final | L 58–62 | 4–3 | 13 – C. Shumate | 7 – Q. Copeland | 2 – 2 tied | Sports and Fitness Center (1,986) St. Thomas, USVI |
| December 3, 2024* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Santa Clara | L 67–74 | 4–4 | 17 – 2 tied | 7 – C. Shumate | 5 – O. Cooper | The Legacy Center (3,102) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 7, 2024* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | LeTourneau | W 103–69 | 5–4 | 22 – C. Shumate | 9 – Q. Copeland | 11 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (2,765) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 14, 2024* 5:00 p.m., ESPNU | | vs. No. 25 Mississippi State Magnolia Madness | L 63–66 | 5–5 | 19 – J. Charles | 9 – B. Murray | 4 – 2 tied | Cadence Bank Arena (3,846) Tupelo, MS |
| December 22, 2024* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Louisiana | W 64–56 | 6–5 | 22 – S. Parker | 9 – J. Charles | 2 – B. Murray | Cajundome (2,407) Lafayette, LA |
| Conference regular season |||||||||
| December 28, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | New Orleans | W 86–61 | 7–5 (1–0) | 21 – D. Richards Jr. | 6 – C. Shumate | 10 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (3,130) Lake Charles, LA |
| December 30, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southeastern Louisiana | W 79–51 | 8–5 (2–0) | 26 – J. Garcia | 12 – B. Selebangue | 8 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (3,106) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 4, 2025 2:15 p.m., ESPN+ | | at East Texas A&M | W 75–56 | 9–5 (3–0) | 24 – J. Garcia | 10 – 2 tied | 6 – Q. Copeland | The Field House (812) Commerce, TX |
| January 6, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Northwestern State | W 92–69 | 10–5 (4–0) | 20 – D. Richards Jr. | 6 – C. Shumate | 11 – Q. Copeland | Prather Coliseum (387) Natchitoches, LA |
| January 11, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Nicholls | W 80–71 | 11–5 (5–0) | 25 – J. Garcia | 12 – J. Charles | 3 – B. Selebangua | The Legacy Center (4,032) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 13, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Houston Christian | W 75–59 | 12–5 (6–0) | 16 – 2 tied | 9 – B. Selebangue | 7 – Q. Copeland | Sharp Gymnasium (857) Houston, TX |
| January 18, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Lamar Battle of the Border | W 75–64 | 13–5 (7–0) | 19 – D. Richards Jr. | 6 – Q. Copeland | 3 – D. Richards Jr. | The Legacy Center (4,082) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 20, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Stephen F. Austin | W 79–59 | 14–5 (8–0) | 16 – C. Shumate | 11 – C. Shumate | 6 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (2,929) Lake Charles, LA |
| January 25, 2025 4:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UT Rio Grande Valley | W 93–63 | 15–5 (9–0) | 21 – Q. Copeland | 10 – C. Shumate | 8 – Q. Copeland | UTRGV Fieldhouse (1,473) Edinburg, TX |
| January 27, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 74–73 | 16–5 (10–0) | 14 – J. Garcia | 5 – 2 tied | 4 – Q. Copeland | American Bank Center (2,032) Corpus Christi, TX |
| February 1, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Nicholls | L 63–71 | 16–6 (10–1) | 16 – B. Murray | 9 – J. Charles | 3 – Q. Copeland | Stopher Gymnasium (877) Thibodaux, LA |
| February 3, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Incarnate Word | W 67–65 | 17–6 (11–1) | 13 – J. Garcia | 9 – C. Shumate | 7 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (3,216) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 8, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northwestern State | W 65–50 | 18–6 (12–1) | 22 – J. Garcia | 7 – B. Selebangue | 4 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (3,670) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 10, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | East Texas A&M | W 67–51 | 19–6 (13–1) | 19 – C. Shumate | 14 – C. Shumate | 6 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (2,883) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 15, 2025 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at New Orleans | W 78–64 | 20–6 (14–1) | 21 – D. Richards Jr. | 10 – J. Charles | 4 – Q. Copeland | Lakefront Arena (737) New Orleans, LA |
| February 17, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Southeastern Louisiana | W 88–82 | 21–6 (15–1) | 18 – J. Garcia | 10 – J. Charles | 6 – Q. Copeland | Pride Roofing University Center (1,218) Hammond, LA |
| February 22, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 73–57 | 22–6 (16–1) | 16 – J. Charles | 7 – C. Shumate | 5 – B. Murray | The Legacy Center (4,032) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 24, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UT Rio Grande Valley | W 100–65 | 23–6 (17–1) | 19 – 2 tied | 12 – J. Charles | 8 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (3,181) Lake Charles, LA |
| March 1, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Lamar Battle of the Border | W 68–66 | 24–6 (18–1) | 25 – S. Parker | 7 – J. Garcia | 6 – Q. Copeland | Neches Arena (5,746) Beaumont, TX |
| March 3, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPNU | | at Stephen F. Austin | W 95–64 | 25–6 (19–1) | 22 – S. Parker | 9 – J. Charles | 5 – Q. Copeland | William R. Johnson Coliseum (2,924) Nacogdoches, TX |
| Southland tournament |||||||||
| March 11, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPNU | (1) | (4) Northwestern State Semifinals | W 83–64 | 26–6 | 24 – J. Garcia | 9 – J. Charles | 5 – 2 tied | The Legacy Center (3,782) Lake Charles, LA |
| March 12, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (1) | (2) Lamar Championship | W 63–54 | 27–6 | 18 – Q. Copeland | 7 – J. Charles | 4 – Q. Copeland | The Legacy Center (4,106) Lake Charles, LA |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 20, 2025* 2:15 p.m., TruTV | (12 MW) | vs. (5 MW) No. 12 Clemson Round of 64 | | | | | | Amica Mutual Pavilion Providence, RI |
| *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 | Sincere Parker | G | November 25, 2024 |
| SLC Men's Basketball Player of the Week | Javohn Garcia | G | January 6, 2025 |
| SLC Men's Basketball Player of the Week | Joe Charles | F | February 24, 2025 |