A Jim Gazzolo Article: Made for TV

By Jim Gazzolo 

To steal a slogan from a few years back, the Cowboys are proving to be Must-Watch TV.

And with that, they are becoming the perfect pitchmen for their school, community, and conference.

Monday night, in front of a national television audience, McNeese State’s upstart men’s basketball team made its only scheduled appearance on the big stage. With a little help from the Islanders of Texas A&M-Commerce, the Cowboys put on a pretty good show as well.

There was drama, controversy, and a thrilling comeback which would have been perfect in any Hollywood script.

All this from a basketball program that had very little success and gotten even less national attention over the recent years. Not so now, McNeese is the talk of college basketball.

Call it the Will Wade effect.

The lighting rod first-year head coach of the Pokes has brought much more than a 17-2 record to town. He has put a spotlight on the Cowboys who are living and thriving daily in the limelight.

Monday night in Corpus Christi, Texas was just the latest example.

With his team down 18 with just over 13 minutes remaining, Wade kept calm while the world around him went crazy. His Cowboys followed his lead and rallied for an improbable and historic victory.

It was the most points ever McNeese rallied from a second-half deficit for the win.

The Cowboys’ 62-61 comeback ended when forward Christian Shumate tipped in a rebound with .3 seconds remaining.

“Just wild,” said Wade. “Just an incredible play. Tonight wasn’t easy but it was a great way to showcase our program on national T.V.”

That game was the perfect example of why the Southland Conference made the smart decision to play its games on Monday nights. It allows the league to get a much bigger national audience and much better exposure.

“It has worked out great,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It is just what we were looking for. For us, it is great to see our brand get out there and promote our program and what we are trying to do here.”

Monday night was also the third time already this season that Shumate has made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 highlight list. His previous two appearances came thanks to a pair of showcase dunks he has named ShuSlams.

Southland Commissioner Chris Grant texted “couldn’t have asked for a better showcase for our league,” when he was questioned about his thoughts.

The good folks at Corpus Christi may not agree.

It all is exactly what Schroyer hoped for when he went out on a limb and hired Wade last spring to take over the struggling program. The former LSU head coach who was looking to redeem his career after an NCAA suspension has delivered.

Not only is McNeese 17-2, equaling its best start in program history, and is 6-0 in the conference, but ticket sales have soared along with interest in the program overall. Money has also flowed nicely into the athletic department.

Winning breads followers with deep pockets.

As for the television coverage, well that’s over the top.

“You can’t put a price tag on what this means,” said Wade. “You can’t buy that kind of exposure for our program, our university, or our community.”

The Cowboys will be home this weekend for a Saturday game against New Orleans as they look to extend their win streak to 13 games. It’s all part of the plan, one that is working.

McNeese basketball has become the best show in town and is perfect for the small screen.

 Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles