The Cowboys will welcome back an old friend when they host North Texas Monday night in the Legacy Center.

Jonathan Massie, a 6-foot-6 guard who spent his first two college seasons at McNeese State, is now a member of the Mean Green. He will be a key to their hopes as the two programs meet for the 6 p.m. tipoff.

“It will be fun to be back in Lake Charles and see some of those old friends,” said Massie Friday when reached by phone. “I look forward to it and seeing the fans.”

McNeese officials hope for a big crowd as the school hosts its first “White Out” game in program history. All seats will be covered with white shirts for fans to wear.

Massie and UNT are off to a fast start at 3-0, coming off a win at Minnesota, 54-51, Wednesday night when the former Cowboy secured the victory with the game’s final rebound.

“Things are going good for us,” Massie said. “I do miss McNeese from time to time, but I think I’m where I’m supposed to be right now.”

Massie says he still connects with a couple of his old teammates, DJ Richards and Christian Shumate, and is happy about what has taken place with the program since he left. 

“It is great to see what is going on there,” Massie said. “I remember some of the tough times after the storms and playing in Burton Coliseum.”

McNeese sits at 1-2 but lost by just eight No. 2 Alabama last Monday, so both teams are feeling pretty good about themselves heading into the showdown. 

“I’m happy with our effort at Alabama and how we competed,” said McNeese head coach Will Wade. “We are in for a tough game Monday with North Texas, they are big and physical. They play tough defense and it will be a test for us.”

Massie is a big part of UNT. He is averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds after spending last year at Longwood. 

He helped the Lancers make the NCAA Tournament by averaging 11.3 points and 5.2 boards after leaving McNeese Wade replaced John Aiken in the spring of 2023.

“I met with him when I first got here and he came back and told me he wanted to go elsewhere,” said Wade. “He has gone on to have a good career and is off to a good start this year.

“He is not the same player he was when he was here. He has worked hard you can see and made great strides.”

Massie said his decision was nothing against the Cowboy head coach, he was just looking for a fresh start.

“I was really close to Coach Aiken and when he was done I was just sort of done,” Massie said. “I met with Coach Wade a couple of times and I liked what he had to say but I just wanted something new.”

As a freshman in the 2021-22 season, the 6-foot-6 guard from Houston made a strong first impression as a Cowboy. 

Playing in 31 games and starting 25, Massie was named the Southland Conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2022. He is just the second Cowboy ever to earn that honor and the first since 2000.

Massie averaged 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds a game and had 35 steals. He was second on the team with 67 assists and scored in double figures three times.

As a sophomore Massie’s numbers improved. He averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 boards while starting 31 of 34 games. He helped the Cowboys make a run in the SLC Tournament, winning twice to advance to the semifinal game where he scored 18 points in the loss.

He recalls his time at McNeese fondly, especially the first game he played in the Legacy Center after it was rebuilt following Hurricane Laura. On that day in front of a packed house, Zach Scott hit a buzzer-beater to knock off Houston Christian and the students rushed onto the court to hug the Cowboys.

“I remember how it looked after the storm and when we finally got to play in the Legacy Center,” Massie said. “It was so much fun to see the fans happy and into it.”

Massie expects Monday to be just as exciting.

“I think it will be great there, we are looking to go in and get a win,” he said.

The Cowboys are hoping to spoil his homecoming.