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McNeese Cowboys basketball | |||
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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 | |||
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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 |
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.
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.
The Cowboys have appeared in four NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–4.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
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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 |
The Cowboys have appeared in one NCAA Division II Tournament. Their record is 0–2.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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1968 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Trinity (TX) Jackson State | L 78–95 L 71–75 |
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 |
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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 |
The Cowboys have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–3.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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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 |
The Cowboys have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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2012 | First round | Toledo | L 63–76 |
McNeese State Cowboys retired numbers | ||||
No. | Player | Years | ||
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4 | Joe Dumars | 1981–1985 | ||
25 | Stan Kernan | 1957–1961 | ||
33 | Bill Reigel | 1954–1956 | ||
34 | Frank Glenn | 1955–1958 |
Six former Cowboys have appeared in the National Basketball Association.