After claiming its first conference title in 13 years, the McNeese Cowboys have taken top honors in the Southland Conference.
Shahada Wells was selected as the SLC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and SLC Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Year, Christian Schumate was chosen as the SLC Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year, and Will Wade was tabbed as the SLC Men’s Coach of the Year.
Wells and Schumate were also selected to the All-SLC Men’s First Team and were joined by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Garry Clark, Southeastern Louisiana’s Nick Caldwell, and Nicholls’ Diante Smith.
Schumate was also chosen for the SLC All-Defensive Team.
Wells, a transfer from TCU, is one of only two players in the NCAA to average at least 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Wells has recorded 26 double-digit scoring games in 30 played this season and has scored 20 or more points 10 times and 3 games with 30 or more.
Wells is ranked No. 1 in the SLC and No. 2 in the NCAA with 2.9 steals per game. He’s second in league in scoring (17.2) and assists (4.7), third in FG shooting (.473), and seventh in FT% (.766).
Shumate is one of the most dynamic and electric dunkers in all of college basketball. A preseason first team All-Conference selection and a 2022-23 second team honoree, Shumate currently leads the Southland Conference and is ranked 29th in the NCAA in rebounds with 9.7 per game.
Schumate is in his third season with the Cowboys, and has recorded 12 double-doubles on the season, leading the SLC and ranking 30th in NCAA. He set a new school career record with his 33rd double-double at New Orleans this past Wednesday and is ranked fourth on the SLC career double-double record list.
Shumate is No. 1 in the SLC and 17th nationally with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game and is second in the league with 42 total blocked shots and 1.4 blocks per game. He also leads the Southland Conference with 14 double-digit rebound games and has scored 10 points or more 22 times with 20 or more points twice.
In his first season at the helm, Wade took McNeese from 23 losses last season to a school-record 28 wins this year, the biggest turnaround in the NCAA. The 28 wins are tied as the most in the NCAA this year while the .944 SLC winning percentage is the 3rd-best in SLC history. The wins total is also tied as the third-most in league history.
The Cowboys’ 17-1 conference record matches a school record for most league wins in a season while McNeese’s 16-0 home record wet a new school mark for home wins. Under Wade’s guidance, McNeese has also collected votes in both the AP and USA Today Top 25 polls for the first time in school history.
Lamar’s Chris Pryor, Nicholls’ Jamal West Jr, UNO’s Jordan Johnson, Lamar’s Terry Anderson and Southeastern Louisiana’s Roger McFarlane were the All-SLC Men’s Second Team honorees.
Houston Christian’s Dominic Capriotti was named SLC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Year.
McNeese (28-3, 17-1 SLC) earned the No. 1 overall seed and a double bye in next week’s SLC Tournament at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles. The Cowboys won’t play until the semifinal round on Tuesday.