After another successful season under Will Wade, the McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team is returning to the NCAA Tournament.
On Selection Sunday, the Cowboys found they’ll be a 12 seed. Their first-round opponent will be the Clemson Tigers in a 5-12 matchup. That game will be played on Thursday, March 20th, and will be a part of the Midwest region. The venue will be in Providence, Rhode Island, and the top seed in the region is the Houston Cougars.
In the 2024-2025 season, McNeese went 27-6, including having a 19-1 record in Southland Conference play. The Pokes went out on a high note, going on an 11-game win streak, and were the conference champs in the regular season and the Southland Tournament.
That conference championship victory over the Lamar Cardinals secured a spot for McNeese in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This is the first time in program history the Pokes won the conference title in back-to-back seasons.
In two seasons in Lake Charles, Wade has coached the Cowboys to a 57-10 record and helped punch their ticket to the big dance.