McNeese Cowboys

Date: Sunday November 23rd, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Venue: John Gray Gymnasium (George Town, Cayman Islands)
TV: FloHoops
Ranks: 97th (KenPom), 100th (Bart Torvik), 102nd (Haslametrics), 89th (EvanMiya), 139th (Sports Illustrated)
2024-25 Record: 28-7, 19-1 (1st in Southland)
2025-26 Projected Record: 23-8, 18-4 (1st in Southland)

Head-to-Head: First time facing the Cowboys!

Offensive Efficiency: 99th (KenPom), 146th (Bart Torvik), 113th (Haslametrics), 90th (EvanMiya)
Defensive Efficiency: 100th (KenPom), 63rd (Bart Torvik), 88th (Haslametrics), 93rd (EvanMiya)
Pace: 241st (KenPom), 229th (Bart Torvik), 287th (Haslametrics), 258th (EvanMiya)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 59th
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 129th
Rim & 3 Rate: 84% (130th)

Strengths (2024-25 Season):
Scoring Margin: +12.1 PPG (13th; 1st in Sland)
Winning Percentage: 80% (13th; 1st in Sland)
Turnover Margin: +3.8 TO/G (15th; 1st in Sland)
Scoring Defense: 64.5 PPG (16th; 1st in Sland)
Steals Per Game: 9 SPG (20th; 1st in Sland)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 40.3% (21st; 1st in Sland)
Turnovers Forced Per Game: 14.63 TO/G (29th; 1st in Sland)
Field Goal Percentage: 47.7% (36th; 2nd in Sland)
Bench Points Per Game: 26.43 PPG (43rd; 2nd in Sland)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: 54.2% (56th; 1st in Sland)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.8 TO/G (87th; 2nd in Sland)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 11.71 ORPG (91st; 7th in Sland)
Three Point Percentage: 35.4% (92nd; 2nd in Sland)
Rebound Margin: +3.2 RPG (93rd; 4th in Sland)
Three Point Percentage Defense: 32.3% (96th; 4th in Sland)
Scoring Offense: 76.6 PPG (99th; 2nd in Sland)

Weaknesses (2024-25 Season):
The Cowboys did not finish bottom 100 in any category. Yeah, McNeese was that good last season.

Projected Starting Lineup:
#8 G Tyshawn Archie (Junior; Houston, TX) - 9.3 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg; 39% FG, 27% 3-PT, 58% FT per 22.1 mpg/33 GP at Tulsa last season
#1 G Javohn Garcia (Senior; Columbus, OH) - 12.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 spg; 43% FG, 35% 3-PT, 81% FT per 28.9 mpg/35 GP at McNeese last season
#2 G DJ Richards Jr. (Senior; Houston, TX) - 9.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1 spg; 44% FG, 43% 3-PT, 87% FT per 22.5 mpg/35 GP at McNeese last season
#10 G/F Jacolb Fredson-Cole (RS Sophomore; Houston, TX) - 0.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg; 27% FG, 20% 3-PT, 100% FT per 4.6 mpg/15 GP at Oklahoma last season
#13 F Yanis Ndjonga (Junior; Yaoundé, Cameroon) - DNP at Baylor last two seasons (redshirt, torn ACL)

Key Bench Players:
#3 G Garwey Dual (Junior; Houston, TX) - 5.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3 apg, 1.7 spg; 42% FG, 31% 3-PT, 63% FT per 25.5 mpg/30 GP at Seton Hall last season
#23 G Carl Cherenfant (Junior; Pompano Beach, FL) - 2.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg; 36% FG, 30% 3-PT, 85% FT per 11 mpg/20 GP at New Mexico State last season
#6 G Larry Johnson (Freshman; Savannah, GA) - DNP at Creighton last season (redshirt)
#7 F Jerrell Colbert (Senior; Houston, TX) - 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg; 64% FG, 68% FT per 8.5 mpg/33 GP at SMU last season
#15 F Peitok Machar (Sophomore; Sydney, Australia) - 8.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.4 bpg; 74% FG, 43% 3-PT, 78% FT per 7.4 mpg/29 GP at Triton College (JUCO) last season

Key Losses:
Alyn Breed (Transferred to NC State; Powder Springs, GA) - 17.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg; 52% FG, 50% 3-PT, 100% FT per 30 mpg/2 GP
Sincere Parker (Transferred to Memphis; Rockford, IL) - 12.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg; 44% FG, 30% 3-PT, 82% FT per 19.7 mpg/34 GP
Christian Shumate (Graduated; Chicago, IL) - 10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg; 62% FG, 31% 3-PT, 42% FT per 27.6 mpg/35 GP
Quadir Copeland (Transferred to NC State; Philadelphia, PA) - 9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.4 spg; 49% FG, 15% 3-PT, 68% FT per 21.9 mpg/35 GP
Joe Charles (Graduated; Carencro, LA) - 8.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 spg; 43% FG, 36% 3-PT, 80% FT per 28.9 mpg/33 GP
Brandon Murray (Graduated; Germantown, MD) - 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg; 50% FG, 35% 3-PT, 65% FT per 25 mpg/30 GP

Preview:
It's hysterical looking back that Will Wade was canned for recruiting violations from LSU just over three years ago. What he did is commonplace in the NIL era. A player (transfer or HS) has not really "committed" until they step foot on campus. Until then, it's basically a bidding war behind the scenes as a player can effectively decommit anytime they feel like it when given a bigger bag. Yeah, loyalty still matters to some but it's never been more transactional. Whether it's the transfer portal, conference realignment, or NCAA tournament expansion it all comes down to money - and it's only going to get worse.

A lot of credit goes to McNeese's AD Heath Schroyer in a lot of ways for seeing the way the game was going and knowing that Wade was always going to be given a second chance. He was going to come in hungry, coming off a year of not coaching. The high majors as expected were scared off initially, just like when Rick Pitino got back in the game at Iona. In retrospect, I'm sure LSU would have just given Wade a slap on the wrist if they were to do it again, as former Murray State (more on them in a couple days) HC Matt McMahon hasn't really got it done there lately. To be fair to him, he hasn't been horrific - LSU just doesn't commit as much to basketball and the SEC is a very competitive league nowadays.

I'm not really sure how Schroyer had the leverage to move from HC to AD at McNeese, because he was a really middling head coach for the Cowboys from 2018 to 2021. Following two poor seasons under John Aiken (who was on staff under Schroyer previously), hiring on Wade was a no brainer. Prior to last season, the Southland has been a bottom five conference in college basketball in the 2020s. Landing a coach of Wade's caliber basically puts you light years ahead everyone else. That was in fact what happened in 2023-24, with McNeese finishing a ridiculous 14.05 points in net rating better on KenPom than the second team in the conference, Texas A&M-CC. It's actually crazy that the Cowboys were not even the preseason favorites in the conference going into Wade's first year. That went to Southeastern Louisiana, and the Lions did not even finish top 4 in the conference by season's end (although they did account for McNeese's lone loss in conference play). The talent was evident from the get-go. Even with Wade suspended for ten games, McNeese knocked off VCU at their place to start the new era. Strangely, the Cowboys chose to alternate between two assistants (Brandon Chambers and Vernon Hamilton) during the games Wade was sidelined. I can't remember seeing something like that before.

McNeese should be credited for the Southland's revival as a basketball conference last year, as their dominance under Wade's years prompted other programs to invest more. A school like Incarnate Word upped their NIL significantly, and in general all the member institutions have hired better coaches. The improvement across the board must have caught Stephen F. Austin off guard. Prior to leaving for the WAC, the Lumberjacks were the dominant team in the Southland, so to see them finish 10th last year in their first season back in their old stomping grounds speaks to just how much the conference got better.

While the 2025 NCAA tournament did not feature a ton of upsets, it was awesome to see McNeese knock off Clemson in the first round. The people of Lake Charles, Louisiana really deserved it, having dealt with widespread destruction from Hurricane Laura back in 2020 in addition to COVID. The program made back-to-back tournaments under Wade, having previously qualified for just two NCAA tournaments total prior (the last one was in 2001-02). Unsurprisingly, Wade got poached by NC State after falling to Purdue in the round of 32.

It's probably not worthwhile to rehash what McNeese did well last season, as they have a new coach in Bill Armstrong and an entirely new team outside of a couple players. Guys like Alyn Breed, who went down with a knee injury just two games into the season, and Quadir Copeland, who ranked 84th nationally in assists per game, both followed Wade to Raleigh. While Armstrong spent last season at Baylor, he was a former assistant at LSU under Wade for a few years, so perhaps the style of play remains relatively the same. Although Wade was known for having uptempo teams at Chattanooga, VCU, and LSU, he did slow things down a bit when he came to McNeese (316th in total possessions per game last year). So far, it appears Armstrong has continued that. He has also continued McNeese's aggressive defense with forcing turnovers and erasing any opportunities at the rim, although it will be tough to match last year's 19th place finish nationally in points allowed on a per possession basis. The Cowboys are currently 16th in the nation in defensive turnover percentage - a trade mark of many Southland teams - and 14th in block percentage. They are particularly good at getting to the free throw line. Only Buffalo has a higher free throw rate thus far. It's worth noting that they've faced two non-D1 squads, but they have also played a solid team in Santa Clara as well. If there is a weakness, it is that they are really bad at defensive rebounding - only North Florida has a worse defensive rebound percentage. Opposing teams are grabbing nearly half of these opportunities (49.4%).

McNeese is also good shooting the ball, but ultimately that comes from having a ton of talent on the roster. Much like Wade's teams, many players were highly rated coming out of HS. It probably makes sense to highlight the returners first, with both Javohn Garcia, the reigning Southland Player of the Year, and DJ Richards Jr. back after playing key roles on last year's tourney team.

If Garcia's name sounds familiar, it's because he began his career in the A10 at UMass (and was hyped to the moon). He scored 11 points across two matchups against GW back in 2021-22 before doing a JUCO year and spending the last three seasons at McNeese. While not a high volume shooter, he can certainly knock down an open shot (career 37%) and he is a great fit defensively for what Armstrong wants to do.

Richards is one of five H-Town natives that are featured in the rotation. He is on the court primarily to stretch the floor and let it fly from deep, and he is darn good at it. For his career, he is a 41% shooter from 3 on nearly six attempts a game and last year he ranked 89th nationally in total threes made. Richards led the Southland in 3P%, converting on nearly half his attempts. He was a slight net negative on defense though. T'Johnn Brown is an undersized guard who has been with the program for the past two years and can provide a touch of scoring. He hasn't yet played on the year and probably plays a deeper role, given he was the weakest offensive player in the rotation last season (-0.83 OBPR per EvanMiya).

The transfers coming in from Space City include Tyshawn Archie (Tulsa), Garwey Dual (Seton Hall), Jacolb Fredson-Cole (Oklahoma), and Jerrell Colbert (SMU). Archie and Dual will feature in the backcourt, while Fredson-Cole and Colbert will make their mark up front.

Archie was a part-time starter in 2024-25 for the Golden Hurricane, but endured a sophomore slump. While he took on more volume (third in the American in percentage of team shots taken), his efficiency regressed across the board. Still, he proved to be a solid contributor in a number of areas even if Tulsa was not good during those years. Thus far, he has done a really solid job setting the table for the Cowboys (3.8 apg) and he's been an absolute pest defensively with 2 steals per game. Dual was a top 50 4-star out of HS, beginning his career at Providence before transferring in conference to Seton Hall. He was inefficient at both spots, but it's a great gamble for McNeese to land a 28 game Big East starter - especially as a bench piece. Dual has a "dual" skillset, as he can both get his own shot and make plays for others. He currently averages nearly six dimes while shooting 58% from the field.

Fredson-Cole can slot in a number of lineups with his 6'7" frame. He was inefficient in his sole campaign in Norman, but that's not unexpected for a freshman. Cole is a great rebounder (7.8 rpg), and has really surprised with his ability to move the ball as a connective piece (4.5 apg). He's still a bit raw offensively, but he does have a good stroke at the line which suggests possible upside. Colbert has spent three years at the high-major ranks, between LSU, Kansas State, and SMU. He has appeared in 64 games over the last two seasons in short spurts, starting 13 with the Wildcats back in 2023-24. Colbert has a nice touch inside and can provide some rim protection up front.

Two more international guys in Yanis Ndjonga (Cameroon) and Peitok Machar (Australia) will also play key roles up front. Ndjonga was at Baylor like Armstrong last season and is coming off two seasons of not playing since he tore his ACL back in 2023-24. Despite that, he has started for McNeese and showcased three-level scoring ability on fairly good efficiency while being a decent rebounder as well. Machar played at a really good JUCO last year (Triton CC) which went 29-6 last season. He ranked second on the team in rebounding and like Ndjonga was an efficient shooter from all over the court. He will be a factor off the bench. A third foreign big in AbdouAkim Mazou-Tahirou is a younger, future option who has length nearly as long as his name.

A couple more 4-star guards in Larry Johnson (Creighton) and Carl Cherenfant (Memphis, NMSU last year) join Dual in Lake Charles. Johnson redshirted last year, but has had a crazy good start to the season. He is currently seventh in the nation in scoring (24.3 ppg), and while he's not shot the ball well from deep Johnson is finishing an unreal 86% from 2. When you factor in the fact that he's a perfect 29/29 from the line it's even more insane - that's 60 shots made out of 65 attempted from inside the arc. Slowing him down will be the primary task in Sunday's contest.

Cherenfant was not particularly productive or efficient at his last two stops, but he has looked better coming off the bench for the Cowboys so far. He's primarily a penetrating guard who can rebound at a decent clip and provide some defense at the other end. Former Cincinnati walk-on JJ Rembert is an additional deeper option in the backcourt.

While many of McNeese's players have good stats to start the year (they lead the nation in scoring with 103.5 ppg as a team), it's tough to gauge just how good they are given they've played two non-D1 opponents and one of their other games was against a rebuilding (though talented) Louisiana team. They did look more human against Santa Clara, probably a comparable squad to GW. I think the primary concern for the Revs will easily be ball security. McNeese is 22nd nationally in steals per game, and we know GW can be careless at times with the ball. CJ has been a lot better with ball security the last couple games, but I wonder whether this is a game where CC leans more on Tre to handle PG duties like in the USF game. GW will also have to find a way to slow Johnson down with his hot start to the year.

Projected Score: GW 81, McNeese 75. 68% chance to win (KenPom). Bart Torvik forecasts a 70% chance at a W. ESPN predicts a 51.5% chance for GW to move to 6-0.

Alum1 wrote:

What defines success in The Cayman Islands to you guys? Is two out of three a success, with one of them being over McNeese? I think that’s my target. Tough putt to win three games in three days, especially for a team that relies so heavily on threes falling.

To me, 3-0 would be a success, and 1-2 or 0-3 would be a disappointment, no matter what. If we go 2-1, which is probably the most likely outcome, it would depend to me on how they played. If they win two close games in which they played poorly but the other teams played even worse, and their loss is a 20 point blowout, that would be a disappointment to me. If we win the two games comfortably and the loss is a close game against a team that shot lights out from the three, however, that would be a success to me. My two cents.

jf wrote:

Two goals:

2) Being able to get FloHoops to run correctly. And being able to cancel it after the tournament.
Latter part should be the biggest challenge of the tournament.
 

 
I bit the bullet and signed up for Flo under the month-to-month option. For those of you contemplating the hunt for how to cancel, the email receipt I received has a helpful link to the cancellation instructions.

Cancellation: For information on how to cancel your subscription from different devices visit our How to Cancel page. (This is linked)

Last edited by Alum1 (11/21/2025 5:43 pm)

GW 3-0, I saw it in a vision

Wisconsin Colinial and  I will be there.   Anyone else?

Last edited by Long Suffering Fan (11/21/2025 8:53 pm)

Thank you dmvpiranha for another great pregame deep dive. I always learn something.

The question of success in Cayman is a good one.  The question of when this team loses for the first time is also a good one.  It's a matter of perspective and the progression of the season.  Coach Ferry told CC that "nobody guarded us that well!" I think we can all agree that the calling card of this Rev team is the 40 minute relentless defensive pressure.  It imposes it's will on the opponent and blows up their game plan. Which team will match this intensity remains to be seen.  So far it's been a good run and hopefully continues through Cayman.  In order for it to continue we need the timely CC guard substitutions, at least 70% from the FT line, less than 14 turnovers, limit second chance offensive rebounds (USF had 16!), and not get screwed by refs (i.e. missed goaltending calls as in past MTE's) and avoid injury.

So far this season is off to a nice start.  Garrett has been a welcome sight and the camaraderie of everyone looks great.  This team is having fun!!  So much can happen with 3 games in 3 days but they happen one at a time.  I'm sure they prepped for McNeese and will be watching the other 2 teams from the stands when they play.  It will be a success if they can build on what they've done so far and continue to bring the energy.

Second the props for LSF (as well as Wisconsin Colonial), a true fan.
Envy them for the weather and not having to deal with FloSports.
Keep us informed on the atmosphere in the Caymans and enjoy the rum cake--and hopefully
not too much rum needed.
   Team needs to reward LSF's, Wisconsin Colonial and any other traveling fan's dedication.
 

GW Basketball Insiders episode discussing the start to the season and previewing the MTE. Good discussion, check it out! I'm really hoping we can go 3-0 and I agree with the sentiment that the McNeese game is the most important.

Twitter: https://x.com/MattModderno/status/1992253521719394390?s=20
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/OGOXh0plRGk?si=0TLstWtKxaAMD9DA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rnL3b7GndTZZWYVLDPTeK?si=Tqu_w9iXSHWrYfXcJ9i24g
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gw-basketball-insiders-11-21-early-season-recap-mte-preview/id1802674606?i=1000737909392
 

McNeese coach here says Yanis Ndjonga didn't make the trip due to visa issues. Their second leading rebounder (especially strong on the offensive glass) and very efficient scorer. Leaves them with three guys taller than 6'5" who have played any minutes this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzzn0g3hw40