Extreme makeovers don’t happen overnight, but maybe over a summer can work.

The Cowboys are trying to do just that, turning a basketball program that had been on life support into a healthy NCAA tournament contender in the space of a few months.

With new head coach Will Wade pumping life into the McNeese State program, there is more energy and hype surrounding the Cowboys than perhaps ever before.

“We are excited to get playing,” said Wade who will miss the first 10 games of the season due to an NCAA suspension pending from his time at LSU.

After a year off, Wade returns to the coaching ranks in hopes of remaking his image, or at least restarting it. He has brought along a fresh group of players, injecting talent into a team that lost a program-record 23 games last season after dropping 22 the year before.

Now Wade has promised 23 wins plus one.

“I feel we have all the pieces in place,” said TCU transfer Shahada Wells. “We can shoot, we can drive, we can play defense.”

The 6-foot guard averaged 5.9 points a game last year at TCU and expects he will score more this season.

“I will do what we need on a nightly basis to win,” said Wells. “We all just want to win.”

Wade has added 11 newcomers to the roster but also saw one big-name return. Forward Christian Shumate, who had a breakout run during the Southland Conference tournament last year, is back after dipping his toes in the transfer portal. The 6-7 redshirt junior averaged 26.7 points and 13.7 rebounds as the Cowboys made a surprising run to the semifinals.

“I finished the season super strong and it showed me what I can do,” said Shumate. “It gave me a lot of confidence.”

Shumate really likes the new-look Pokes.

“We got a lot of dimensions now,” said Shumate. “We got a lot of guys who can do a lot more things. We have got a super competitive group.”

McNeese is even receiving attention on the national level as Wells has been named the SLC’s Newcomer of the Year by The Almanac and was voted the Southland’s “Best Pro Prospect” and Player Who Scares You the Most” by SLC coaches in a poll conducted by the same publication.

He, Shumate, and shooting guard Javohn Garcia (College of Sequoias) made the league’s preseason all-conference team.

Garcia averaged 20.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists last year while being named the California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association North Player of the Year. The 6-3 sharpshooter made 52 percent of his shots from the field and 46 from behind the 3-point line. He also hit 85 percent of his free throws.

Garcia is not alone as there is firepower throughout this roster, including Texas-San Antonio sophomore DJ Richards. The 6-4 Richards averaged 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds while earning All-Freshmen Conference USA honors.

“We have really good players,” said Wade. “I think we can score and play defense. I think we have a lot of spurtability.”

McNeese is still waiting on a pair of transfers being cleared by the NCAA, guard Mike Saunders (Utah) and forward CJ Felder (Florida). Wade hopes to hear soon on the 6-8 Felder who would help the Pokes inside game.

Sophomore Dionjahe Thomas, who came on strong late last season, is working to get back from an injury leaving McNeese a little light in the post. That means 6-9 Antavion Collum (UC-Bakersfield) will be counted on especially early.

“Everybody is here for a reason,” said Wade. “We have got good players, we just have to go out there and play.”

Wade is here in order to rehab his career, but he doesn’t want the focus to be on him, though that will be hard to stop.

“It’s not about me,” Wade said. “It’s the McNeese Cowboys, not the Will Wade Cowboys. I’m gonna fade into the background.”

Well, that’s not going to happen.

The Pokes open the season at Wade’s old stomping ground Monday when they travel to Virginia Commonwealth, where he began his head coaching career.

“It’s going to be a hornets’ nest,” Wade said. “It will be an intense environment, very tough. I’m concerned on how we respond.”

With a record number of home season tickets already sold, there are a lot of people wondering how the Pokes respond.

Let the fun begin, 23-plus one and counting.