The McNeese Cowboys are rolling through conference play, coming off two hard-fought road victories as they gear up for their third straight-away game against Nicholls. Head coach Will Wade met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the latest on McNeese Hoops, including an appearance from feisty Will Wade.

Chaston Tavares
Chaston Tavares
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Going into this last weekend, this would be a pivotal trip for Wade and his bunch facing a few of the league's best teams back-to-back, all on the road. The Cowboys were able to grab a dominating win against UTRGV on Saturday 93-63. The game against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Monday Night was not as easy for McNeese, a game that was said to be testy before tipoff saw the Cowboys for the 2nd straight year in Corpus, find a way to escape the Island with a 1-point victory.

Though the Cowboys didn’t play their best, Wade was pleased with how they managed to grind out a victory. "The Corpus game was a huge game—one versus two at their place. We didn’t play great, but we played well enough to win," he said.

Matthew Bonette McNeese Athletics
Matthew Bonette McNeese Athletics
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With the largest conference lead of any one team in College Basketball, Wade assured that there would be no looking ahead or a sense of taking the foot off the pedal moving forward. With 10 games remaining, Wade dismissed any notion that the conference race was over.

"You never bet against consistent behavior. We’re gonna prepare the same way we do every week. We don’t talk about winning the league championship—that’s a byproduct of the work we put in every day," Wade explained.

Wade doesn't seem to be letting his team get complacent soon. "Winning causes problems too. We’ve got to stay alert, stay on point, and keep a narrow focus. The more noise there is, the more narrow our focus has to be," he said.

Matthew Bonette McNeese Athletics
Matthew Bonette McNeese Athletics
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During the session with the media, a feisty Wade took a moment to let out his frustration on the officiating so far in Southland Conference Play. His frustration with the officiating is from the disparity his team has faced, particularly in free throw attempts.

"Corpus shot more free throws than we even attempted. We lead the conference in offensive rebounding rate and are second in points in the paint, yet we’re seventh in free throw rate. That is statistically impossible," Wade said.

"We grab basically four out of every ten of our misses. We're second in the conference in points in the paint, and we're seventh in free throw rate. Explain that to me. I'm curious. Statistically, it's impossible."

Wade pointed out that the two most common shot types that draw fouls are offensive rebound putbacks and shots in the paint—both areas where McNeese excels. Yet, the Cowboys still rank just seventh in free throw rate.

"Our guys are doing what we ask them to do, and I believe we are getting punished for our athleticism around the rim. It’s not right," Wade continued. "We’ve got to go to the basket. It’s a high-percentage shot, but we get fouled, we get chopped going to the basket—nothing. It’s very very disappointing."

Wade also noted that other teams leading in those statistical categories are all in the top four in free throw rate.

"Explain that to me. I’d like an explanation. It’s statistically impossible what’s happening—statistically absolutely impossible," he said.

So what has been the message to his team? Drive the ball in there and finish. We're not getting any calls so we might as well finish."

Matt Bonnette
Matt Bonnette
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McNeese State will now turn its focus to Nicholls for the second time this season. McNeese’s matchup with Nicholls is set to be another physical battle, and Wade knows his team must rise to the occasion.

"I thought they pumped us last time. We weren’t very physical. Their guards were more physical than ours. We need to play with more urgency and physicality than we did the first time," he emphasized.

"Monday’s win was great, but it’s in the rearview mirror. We got whipped on the ball, our on-ball defense was horrific, our defensive rebounding wasn’t good, and our offensive execution wasn’t great. We’ve got to correct those things before playing Nicholls, or they’ll toss us around the court like rag dolls," Wade said.

Wade has always been very complimental of Head Coach Tevon "Boog" Saddler and the program he is building at Nicholls.

"They've got good players, good coaching, and it's a great place. It's always a challenge to win there." said Wade

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