Comprising of teams from the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast area, the Southland Conference has yet to have much success in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Over the past 25 tournaments, the Southland Conference has won a mere five games, with no team able to string together a pair of wins in a single tournament. McNeese State won the Southland last season and posted a 30-3 record heading into the big dance. Though a popular upset pick, the Cowboys got trounced by Gonzaga 86-65 in the first round. However, McNeese State, as well as plenty of other Southland squads, is ready to do battle in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to determine who likely gets the conference’s lone bid to March Madness.

Favorite

McNeese State

There is a major gap in talent between McNeese State and the field. Like last year, Southland Conference Coach of the Year Will Wade’s squad fell only once in conference play, posting a record of 19-1. Though they play at a slightly slower pace, the Cowboys play efficient basketball. On average, they put up 77.5 points and only give up 64.4 points per game, a scoring margin of 13.2 which ranks 13th in the nation. McNeese State won 14 of their 20 conference games by double digits. The Bayou Bandits played a tougher non-conference schedule than usual, playing a pair of ranked SEC foes in Alabama and Mississippi State. Even though they ended up on the losing side of both games, they showed they can compete with higher lever squads, especially against Mississippi State where they lost 66-63.

The Cowboys have a handful of players who could easily be in a high-major or a power five conference. Southland Conference Player of the Year Javohn Garcia is a solid shooting guard who leads the Cowboys in scoring 12.6 points per game while adding 3.5 rebounds. Garcia, alongside DJ Richards Jr. and Christian Shumate are the three veteran players who played significant minutes for the Cowboys last season. Shumate, a 6’6 forward, provides a strong and mobile big in the starting lineup, while Richards can light it up from behind the arc, shooting an outstanding 42.3% from 3-point land. Sincere Parker is a natural scorer coming off the bench, averaging 12.4 points per game. Regardless of their offensive ability, every player on this team can defend. Defense is non-negotiable for this Cowboy team, and this adds to the reason why they are such a scary squad to play against.

Dark Horses

Lamar

Lamar finished second in the Southland, with a conference record of 14-6. Though finishing well behind McNeese, the Cardinals aren’t a team to be reckoned with. This Cardinals team is deep. They have a lot of players who play at a high level, including a three-headed scoring threat in Alexis Marmolejos, Ja’Sean Jackson and Andrew Holifield, who all average double figures. Errol White and Adam Hamilton add size, rebounding and defensive prowess to the squad.

There is a reason why this team got the other double bye along with McNeese State. Though they started the year a little rocky, they found their stride in conference play. The Cardinals can defend, move the rock, and shoot well. If the seeds hold, it will be no easy task trying to knock off third-seeded Nicholls, though Lamar has beaten them twice already. However, if they do win, if there is a team that can pose a big threat to McNeese State’s March Madness hopes, the Cardinals would be the ones to do it.

Nicholls

Only one Southland Conference member knocked off McNeese State: The Nicholls Colonels. But this isn’t the only reason they are a dark horse. They have a balanced offensive attack, having four players averaging over 11 points per game, led by Robert Brown III at 13.1. The Colonels excel in almost all areas of the game, which makes them hard to match up against. One issue the Colonels face is they have to play an extra game in the tournament compared to McNeese State and Lamar, which could loom large. Also, Nicholls has failed to beat Lamar in both matchups this season. Adding these two factors together makes them a dark horse, but one that can cause chaos. 

Potential Cinderellas

Southeastern Louisiana

Even though the Lions are playing in the first round, they could string together a few wins and make some noise during the conference tournament. Every team they potentially have in their path to the championship game -Incarnate Word, Nicholls and Lamar – they have beat. Granted, all those games were close and Southeastern has only played each team once. The Lions are highlighted by Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year Sam Hines Jr., a versatile guard who can do everything on the offensive end and the motor that makes this team go. Paired with fellow Southland All-Conference first-team player Jakevion Buckley, A tough-nosed defender who also earned Southland Conference All-Defensive team, the Lions could wreak some havoc. The main issue they face is that they play in the first round, so they will have to win four games in four days. But if Hines and Buckley can create a spark, they could start the fire this Lions squad needs to go on a run.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

One thing this Islander basketball team can lean on to try and pull off a string of wins is their experience. Before McNeese State won the Southland Conference tournament last season, Corpus Christi was the back-to-back defending conference tournament champion. Though he was only an assistant during that run, head coach Jim Shaw saw what it takes to punch a ticket to the big dance. 

St. Louis native and senior forward Garry Clark, who received Southland All-Conference first-team honors, has been the Islander’s cornerstone for the past two seasons. Averaging 14.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, Clark uses his 6’8, 210-pound frame to his advantage whenever he touches the ball. However, like Southeastern Louisiana, the Islanders must win four games in four days to punch their ticket. Also, they will have to play McNeese State in the semifinals if they make it there, which isn’t favorable. Their first two matchups are set up well for them. If they can string together a pair of wins, then maybe Clark and the gang can create chaos in the Southland.

Longshots

Northwestern State

The path for Northwestern State doesn’t favor them. Though they beat Houston Christian both times they matched up, the games were competitive. If Houston Christian falls in the first round, the Demons get to play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, who they lost to convincingly earlier in conference play. If they win, they will play McNeese State in the Cowboy’s first game of the tournament. Added on top of this, Northwestern State ranks 332 out of 364 teams in points per game with 68.9. With any of their potential opponents, they may struggle to score. Even though they get a bye, this tournament isn’t set up well for the Demons.

Houston Christian

The Huskies have a tall task to try and win the Southland; they play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round, who split the season series with HCU. If they win, they would have to play Northwestern State, who they lost to twice. If they can somehow get past all that, they get the threat of taking on a fresh and rested McNeese State team. This is too much for the Huskies to handle in such little time. 

Incarnate Word

The squad from San Antonio doesn’t have a lot trending in their direction in the conference tournament. Not only do they play Southeastern Louisiana, a team they have failed to beat on a pair of occasions this season, but if they win, they play Nicholls, who they lost to in their only matchup. Like Houston Christian, the gauntlet-style bracket seems like it will be too much for the squads in the first-round games, especially the ones that aren’t favored in the first-round matchups.

My Prediction

It would be hard for me to go against Will Wade and McNeese State. Like last season, they didn’t play outstanding basketball in conference play for no reason. They play efficient basketball, fly around on defense and can dismantle their opponents. Not only do the Cowboys have a strong crew on the court, but they also have arguably the best manager in the country in Amir “Aura” Khan, who has risen to social media stardom in the past few weeks. This team is excellent for a mid-major squad. The success from last year might be making people not value how good this year’s team is. No game they play will be easy for them from here on out. Lamar and Nicholls both pose a legitimate threat to the Cowboy’s hopes. However, with a favorable position in the Southland Conference Tournament, I think we can see a repeat of events last year with the McNeese State Cowboys sitting atop the Southland Conference.