Louisiana-Lafayette heads to town for McNeese showdown Sunday
Published 3:16 pm Friday, December 15, 2023
- Head coach Will Wade made his debut with McNeese State on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Legacy Center. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
As if this rivalry needed more steam, the lightning rod that is Will Wade has entered the fray.
Louisiana-Lafayette heads to town for a showdown Sunday against the Cowboys in Wade’s second game on the McNeese State bench.
However, it will be the first between Wade and ULL head coach Bob Marlin since the two had to be separated at the end of a first-round NIT game in 2018.
The two coaches got into a very heated exchange with 12 seconds left in a game between the Cajuns and Wade’s LSU team. Tip time inside the Legacy Center is 3 p.m.
Wade downplays all that now.
“That’s way in the past,” Wade said. “I made some immature decisions back then. I took exception to some stuff he said and he was probably more right than wrong.”
Marlin has also taken the high road this week. In fact, the two coaches have worked together for Sunday’s game as partners in Coaches vs. Cancer.
For every 3-pointer their team makes, each coach will donate $100 to the cause.
“We have worked together on some things and I have gotten to know Bob some,” said Wade. “This is about UL and McNeese, not about him and I. “I do know this game means a lot to our people.
“They have had our number for a long time. It ain’t no rivalry if they beat us eight straight times. Our job is to add some teeth to it with a win.”
The Cowboys will get a boost from center/forward C.J. Felder. The 6-foot-9 transfer from Florida will play for the first time Sunday after being cleared by a court ruling in West Virginia Wednesday.
“I’m so excited,” said Felder. “It has been a long time. I can’t wait to be out there to be with my teammates.”
Felder has had to sit out of the first 11 Cowboy games while waiting to be cleared by the NCAA. Last week a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA allowing all second-time transfers immediate eligibility for 14 days.
He also sat out 18 games last year with the Gators for what he called mental health reasons.
“I’m happy with the fact I can play,” said Felder. “It wasn’t easy but the group of people around me really helped.”
While it is unclear about the future of Felder’s eligibility after the two weeks as the NCAA has said eligibility could be affected by playing, Wade isn’t worried.
“I believe the courts more than I believe the NCAA,” said Wade. “This kid sat out an entire year, it’s a joke what they’ve done. The NCAA is just trying to bully schools one last time.”
As for the game, McNeese is 9-2 and will try to beat the Cajuns for the first time since 2014. Overall Lafayette has a 63-35 advantage in the series but the teams are even in Lake Charles at 22 wins each.
The Cajuns will enter the game 6-4 but 0-3 on the road. They are led by forward Koby Julien, who is averaging 20.1 points a game.
Julien has made 25 of his 55 3-point tries, good for a .455 percentage.
“Julien is a really good player,” said Wade. “He can really shoot the ball. They have a very good, physical team. I think they will be the most physical team we have played.”
The Cajuns are the only team in the country to have made 18 3-pointers in a game twice already this season.
“We will have to close out on their shooters,” said Wade. “We haven’t always done a good job of that this year.”
Guard Shahada Wells leads the McNeese offense, scoring at an 18.5 clip while forward Christian Shumate averages a double-double (12.4 points, 10 rebounds).
DJ Richards is coming off a career-best 24-point performance against Southern Miss last Wednesday night. He has raised his average to 11.4 a game with that effort.
The Cajuns won last year’s game in Lake Charles, 78-70. McNeese will be looking to knock off a second straight Sun Belt foe who beat them last year.
“There are a lot of teams we lost to last year that are back on our schedule so we’re looking forward to getting revenge a lot this season,” said Shumate.
