# 2023–24 Incarnate Word Cardinals men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Incarnate Word Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of the Incarnate Word during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cardinals were led by first-year head coach Shane Heirman and played their home games at McDermott Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas as members of the Southland Conference.

## Previous season

The Cardinals finished the season 12–19, 6–12 in Southland play to finish in ninth place. They failed to qualify for the Southland tournament.
On April 11, 2023, the school fired head coach Carson Cunningham. On May 5, the school named Central Michigan associate head coach Shane Heirman the team's new head coach.

## Preseason polls
### Southland Conference Poll

The Southland Conference released its preseason poll on October 10, 2023. Receiving 42 votes overall, the Cardinals were picked to finish tenth in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Southeastern Louisiana | 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

No Incarnate Word players were selected as a member of the Preseason all conference team.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||||
| November 2, 2023* 7:00 pm | at Texas Lutheran | W 79–75 | | – | – | – | McDermott Center San Antonio, TX |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 7:00 pm, LHN | at No. 18 Texas | L 56–88 | 0–1 | 26 – Wicks | 11 – Wicks | 3 – Wicks | Moody Center (10,763) Austin, TX |
| November 11, 2023* 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Tulsa | L 71–85 | 0–2 | 22 – Hammons | 12 – Robinson | 5 – Davis | Reynolds Center (2,556) Tulsa, OK |
| November 14, 2023* 12:00 pm, ESPN+ | Schreiner University | W 104–63 | 1–2 | 29 – Wicks | 14 – Wicks | 6 – Davis | McDermott Center (201) San Antonio, TX |
| November 18, 2023* 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | at Arkansas–Pine Bluff | W 100–81 | 2–2 | 21 – Hammons | 9 – Robinson | 5 – Davis | K. L. Johnson Complex (1,152) Pine Bluff, AR |
| November 22, 2023* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Jacksonville State | W 67–66 | 3–2 | 21 – S. Wicks | 5 – S. Robinson | 3 – J. Hammons | McDermott Center (86) San Antonio, TX |
| November 25, 2023* 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | at UTSA Roadrunner/Cardinal Classic | L 80–90 | 3–3 | 24 – S. Wicks | 11 – S. Wicks | 5 – S. Wicks | Convocation Center (916) San Antonio, TX |
| November 26, 2023* 3:00 pm | vs. Jacksonville State Roadrunner/Cardinal Classic | L 65–67 | 3–4 | 16 – E. Davis | 7 – E. Davis | 3 – E. Davis | Convocation Center San Antonio, TX |
| December 1, 2023* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Bethune–Cookman | L 82–96 | 3–5 | 21 – J. Morgan | 9 – S. Wicks | 4 – J. Morgan | Moore Gymnasium (704) Daytona Beach, FL |
| December 9, 2023* 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | Northern Arizona | L 75–76 | 3–6 | 28 – S. Wicks | 8 – S. Robinson | 6 – E. Davis | McDermott Center (58) San Antonio, TX |
| December 13, 2023* 11:15 pm, ESPN+ | at Rice | L 57–80 | 3–7 | 13 – J. Hammons | 4 – S. Robinson | 3 – E. Davis | Tudor Fieldhouse (3,466) Houston, TX |
| December 21, 2023* 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | at UIC | W 67–66 | 4–7 | 23 – J. Hammons | 8 – A. Anderson | 6 – A. Anderson | Credit Union 1 Arena (1,154) Chicago, IL |
| December 30, 2023* 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | at UTRGV | L 74–77 | 4–8 | 21 – S. Robinson | 10 – S. Wicks | 6 – A. Anderson | UTRGV Fieldhouse (718) Edinburg, TX |
| January 2, 2024* 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | Our Lady of the Lake | W 83–74 | 5–8 | 24 – J. Morgan | 6 – Tied (3) | 5 – A. Anderson | McDermott Center San Antonio, TX |
| Southland regular season ||||||||
| January 6, 2024 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | L 65–75 | 5–9 (0–1) | 19 – J. Hammons | 9 – S. Wicks | 5 – E. Davis | McDermott Center (218) San Antonio, TX |
| January 8, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Lamar | L 59–75 | 5–10 (0–2) | 16 – S. Robinson | 10 – S. Robinson | 4 – E. Davis | Neches Arena (781) Beaumont, TX |
| January 13, 2024 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Northwestern State | L 77–97 | 5–11 (0–3) | 17 – S. Wicks | 5 – S. Wicks | 2 – E. Davis | Prather Coliseum (1,063) Natchitoches, LA |
| January 20, 2024 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | McNeese | L 66–80 | 5–12 (0–4) | 26 – J. Hammons | 6 – Tied (2) | 3 – Tied (2) | McDermott Center (376) San Antonio, TX |
| January 22, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | Nicholls | L 74–78 $^{OT}$ | 5–13 (0–5) | 21 – A. Anderson | 8 – S. Wicks | 4 – A. Anderson | McDermott Center (135) San Antonio, TX |
| January 27, 2024 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | Houston Christian | W 79–75 | 6–13 (1–5) | 17 – S. Wicks | 11 – S. Wicks | 6 – S. Wicks | McDermott Center (199) San Antonio, TX |
| January 31, 2024 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Texas A&M–Commerce | L 66–71 | 6–14 (1–6) | 18 – D. Hayman | 6 – S. Wicks | 5 – E. Davis | The Field House (203) Commerce, TX |
| February 3, 2024 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | at New Orleans | W 82–80 | 7–14 (2–6) | 27 – S. Wicks | 15 – S. Wicks | 6 – A. Anderson | Lakefront Arena (748) New Orleans, LA |
| February 5, 2024 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | at Southeastern Louisiana | L 64–76 | 7–15 (2–7) | 15 – S. Wicks | 6 – D. Dennis | 7 – A. Anderson | Pride Roofing University Center (756) Hammond, LA |
| February 10, 2024 3:30 pm, ESPN+ | at Houston Christian | L 83–86 | 7–16 (2–8) | 22 – J. Hammons | 8 – D. Hayman | 3 – E. Davis | Sharp Gymnasium (707) Houston, TX |
| February 12, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | Lamar | W 76–67 | 8–16 (3–8) | 19 – S. Wicks | 11 – S. Wicks | 4 – D. Hayman | McDermott Center (204) San Antonio, TX |
| February 17, 2024 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | Northwestern State | L 61–81 | 8–17 (3–9) | 20 – A. Anderson | 7 – S. Wicks | 2 – Tied (2) | McDermott Center (150) San Antonio, TX |
| February 19, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | Texas A&M–Commerce | L 72–76 $^{OT}$ | 8–18 (3–10) | 18 – J. Morgan | 12 – D. Dennis | 4 – A. Anderson | McDermott Center San Antonio, TX |
| February 24, 2024 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | at McNeese | L 71–87 | 8–19 (3–11) | 14 – T. Ford, Jr. | 6 – D. Hayman | 5 – T. Ford, Jr. | The Legacy Center (4,213) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 26, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | at Nicholls | L 82–92 | 8–20 (3–12) | 22 – S. Wicks | 14 – D. Dennis | 4 – D. Hayman | Stopher Gymnasium (850) Thibodaux, LA |
| March 2, 2024 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | New Orleans | L 80–87 | 8–21 (3–13) | 23 – J. Hammons | 7 – D. Hayman | 4 – T. Ford, Jr. | McDermott Center (151) San Antonio, TX |
| March 4, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | Southeastern Louisiana | L 56–73 | 8–22 (3–14) | 17 – Tied (2) | 7 – D. Hayman | 8 – E. Davis | McDermott Center (146) San Antonio, TX |
| March 6, 2024 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | L 52–71 | 8–23 (3–15) | 13 – Hammons | 12 – Wicks | 3 – Davis | American Bank Center (2,719) Corpus Christi, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. ||||||||
Source: