Southland Conference action is officially in full swing for McNeese State as they have easily rolled through the first six games, extending the Cowboys' conference winning streak to 17 games. On Wednesday, Will Wade sat down with the media to discuss the weekend against Nicholls and Houston Christian as well as to preview the rivalry game on Saturday against Lamar.

In a hostile game on Saturday, McNeese handled business and pulled away late to defeat Nicholls 80-71, which was the Cowboys' smallest margin of victory so far in conference play. It would be a quick turnaround to Houston Christian on Monday Night as McNeese used a fast start to bury the Huskies 75-59 inside of Sharp Gymnasium.

Dennis Thibodeaux
Dennis Thibodeaux
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"We were sloppy in both games, we were a bit better against HCU. You can't turn a cruise ship overnight. You can't make massive changes from a Saturday to a Monday. Who you are on Friday is who you will be on Saturday and Monday." said Wade.

"They're (HCU) much improved and have a good team. It was a continuation of what happened on Saturday vs Nicholls. We have to be better this weekend."

McNeese was able to get back Sincere Parker and Brandon Murray over the weekend. Wade expects Omar Cooper to be back this week but wants to stick with an 8-man rotation moving forward even though he can go with a 10-man rotation.

McNeese Athletics
McNeese Athletics
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One of the Cowboys who has seemed to get lost in the shuffle of injuries has been Alyn Breed who has been out for the majority of the season. Will Wade was asked about Breed on Wednesday and it doesn't sound likely that he will be back on the floor anytime soon.

"Breed is a ways off. He has started to do a little more serious rehab, but we're at least a month off. When he feels healthy and when he's cleared, we're gonna see how he feels. We're also going to see where our team is and how they feel, and then we're gonna make the best decision for him and the team. If that's to play him, we'll play him. If that's to sit him, we'll sit him"

Wade was asked if he expects Breed to be back this season, "We're probably another month away from making that call (for him to play). But with the information I have right now, I would probably not expect him back this year, with the information I have now. But, a lot of things can change in four weeks, so we'll see where we are then"

McNeese Cowboys vs Nicholls Basketball Game 2025
Richard J Martin DDS
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It hasn't always been smooth sailing, but through 6 conference games, McNeese has come out unscathed to start Southland Conference Play, but the road is going to get tougher moving forward. That begins on Saturday with the Lamar Cardinals coming over from Beaumont.

Lamar is going to present some challenges for Will Wade's bunch as Coach Alvin Brooks has been able to assemble a pretty large team with multiple guys above 6 foot 10. "Lamar is a good team. They are probably the biggest team in the league. They also have a huge frontline."

"They've been playing well. They had a tough weekend, which everyone has from time to time in this league, but they've been playing really well and it will be a tough game for us."

Dennis Thibodeaux
Dennis Thibodeaux
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The game is slated to tip off at 4:00 and you can watch all of the action on ESPN+ with Tom Hoefer (PXP) and Ron Hayes (Color) on the call. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

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