Back in October, when the Southland Conference gathered in Kinder to talk basketball, news came out that Southeastern was the pick to win the league.

McNeese State head coach Will Wade responded with four words: “We’ll see about that.”

We start getting a good look Saturday when the Cowboys, picked for second, host the Lions in the Legacy Center at 4 p.m.

It is the first of two games between the clubs with both hoping to make a statement without putting too much into one game.

Having already lost once in the league, SLU can’t afford to fall too far back. At 6-9, 1-1, the game is bigger for the Lions, who are coming off a 66-61 defeat at the hands of Nicholls last week, which ended their four-game win streak.

“We have to take care of our home court,” said Wade. “All conference games are big.”

Despite being 13-2, 2-0 and having won eight straight for the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Cowboys have looked sluggish since defeating Michigan on Dec. 29 and starting league play.
“We want to get back to playing our style, to our standards,” said Wade. “That is important.”

McNeese’s two road wins marked the first time the Pokes started with a pair of road victories in the conference since 1984-85. They are 7-0 at home while SLU enters the game just 2-9 on the road.

The Cowboys haven’t lost since they fell to Louisiana Tech the day before Thanksgiving.

Nick Caldwell and Roger McFarlane lead the Lions with 13.3 points per game. Caldwell is hitting 54.7 percent of his shots from the floor and 44.1% on threes (15-34). McFarlane tops SLU with 7.5 rebounds a game.

McNeese will counter with a defense that is sixth in the nation in points allowed per game at 59.7.

“They have some good players who can go inside and out,” said Wade. “We are going to have to play better than we have been.”

McNeese has four players averaging in double figures, led by guard Shahada Wells, who is second in the conference in scoring. Wells, twice a league and Louisiana State Player of the Week already, is scoring at a 19.1 per game clip.

Wells is shooting 51.5% and 41.7% from long range. He also pulls down 5.4 rebounds a game, handing out 3.9 assists and collecting 2.6 steals.

Forward Christian Shumate is close to averaging a double-double at 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds a contest. He shoots 53.3% from the floor and blocks 1.5 shots a game.

“I think Christian is about to break out with a big game,” said Wade. “He can score without running plays for him. We may have to run some more plays his way.”

DJ Richards is coming off the best to score 11.3 points per game on 50% shooting and 46.6% from deep. Antavion Collum is the fourth Cowboy in double figures at 10.6, connecting on 45.8% from the floor and 43.5% on threes.

“We have to play through rough spots,” said Collum. “We have to create our own energy no matter the situation.”

The game will be the first for the Cowboys at home since Dec. 17 when they rallied to knock off Louisiana-Lafayette.

Southeastern and McNeese split a pair of games last season with each team winning on their home floor. However, the Lions have won five of the last six meetings.