McNeese Cowboys basketball

The McNeese Cowboys basketball team represents McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference.

McNeese Cowboys basketball
2024–25 McNeese Cowboys basketball team
University	McNeese State University
Head coach	Bill Armstrong (1st season)
Conference	Southland
Location	Lake Charles, Louisiana
Arena	The Legacy Center (capacity: 4,200)
Nickname	Cowboys
Colors	Royal blue and gold[1]
Uniforms
Home Away
NCAA tournament round of 32
1968*, 2025
NCAA tournament appearances
1968*, 1989, 2002, 2024, 2025
Conference tournament champions
1989, 2002, 2024, 2025
Conference regular-season champions
1975, 1978, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2011, 2024, 2025
* at Division II level

They are led by head coach Bill Armstrong and play their home games at The Legacy Center. Currently members of the NCAA Division I, they were national champions of the NAIA in 1956. Since joining Division I in 1972-73, the Cowboys have appeared four times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2025. McNeese won against Clemson in 2025 for their first NCAA tournament win in program history.

Postseason appearances

Shamarkus Kennedy

NCAA Division I Tournament

The Cowboys have appeared in four NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–4.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1989	16	First round	(1) Illinois	L 71–77
2002	14	First round	(3) Mississippi State	L 58–70
2024	12	First round	(5) Gonzaga	L 65–86
2025	12	First round Second round	(5) Clemson (4) Purdue	W 69–67 L 62–76

NCAA Division II Tournament

The Cowboys have appeared in one NCAA Division II Tournament. Their record is 0–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1968	Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game	Trinity (TX) Jackson State	L 78–95 L 71–75

NAIA Tournament

The Cowboys have appeared in one NAIA Tournament. Their record is 5–0. They were national champions in 1956, their only appearance in the tournament.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1956	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	Georgetown (KY) Central State (OH) Tennessee State Pittsburg State Texas Southern	W 88–65 W 87–74 W 76–68 W 78–72 W 60–55

NIT

The Cowboys have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–3.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1986	First round Second Round	Dayton Louisiana Tech	W 86–75 L 61–77
2001	First round	UTEP	L 74–84
2011	First round	Boston College	L 64–82

CIT

The Cowboys have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2012	First round	Toledo	L 63–76

Players

Retired numbers

McNeese State Cowboys retired numbers
No.	Player	Years
4	Joe Dumars	1981–1985
25	Stan Kernan	1957–1961
33	Bill Reigel	1954–1956
34	Frank Glenn	1955–1958

Cowboys in the NBA

Six former Cowboys have appeared in the National Basketball Association.

• Tierre Brown, 2002-2005
• Joe Dumars, 1986-1999
• Trey Gilder, 2010
• Edmund Lawrence, 1981
• Anthony Pullard, 1993
• John Rudd, 1979

See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball programs