McNeese State Cowboys gave the 2025 March Madness brackets its first massive upset, knocking off the No. 5 ranked Clemson Tigers. The 12th-seeded Cowboys had a downright incredible first half, putting the game out of reach for the Tigers in the second.
While the Tigers fought back in the second half, their first-half woes caught up to them. Ultimately, the Cowboys held on to win by just two points, 69-67, for the massive March Madness upset. So, where is McNeese State located, and what should you know about Purdue’s next opponent?
Where Is McNeese State Located? What to know of Purdue’s NCAA Tournament Opponent
McNeese State is competing in their fourth March Madness tournament in school history. While they were not favored against Clemson, the Cowboys had a fantastic showing against one of the best ACC teams outside of Duke. The Cowboys look ahead to their next opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
This win marked McNeese State’s first win in an NCAA March Madness tournament. McNeese State is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it changed its name after John McNeese, an early local educator in the Lake Charles area. Its current name was adopted in 1970.
Will Wade currently coach McNeese State? In his first two seasons with McNeese State, Wade has an overall record of 50 wins and just eight losses. Perhaps even more impressive, Wade has an outstanding conference record of 36 wins and only two losses. Wade joined McNeese after creating a promising career with LSU, coaching there from 2017 through 2022.
“We have broken every record in the book,” said Wade, who led the school to its first back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament and now its first victory. “This was the last one to get. We want to keep this going. We want to keep this going.”
From the fifth seed to the fourth seed, McNeese State has earned its second-round battle with the No. 4 ranked Purdue men’s basketball team. Brandon Murray is one of McNeese State’s best players. He scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half of the opening-round game against Clemson.
“We went out there and took the first punch and they didn’t know how to react to that, honestly,” Murray said. “Coach tells us to be ourselves and play with swag. That’s what we’re going to do.”
While plenty of rumors are circulating regarding head coach Wade and the NC State Wolfpack, NC State will have to wait at least another 48 hours before they can move forward with potentially hiring Wade as their next head coach.
KEEP READING: McNeese vs. Purdue Predictions: Can the Cowboys Cement Themselves as a Cinderella Team?
Every year in March, a team makes a Cinderella-like run in the NCAA tournament, and this year, it looks no further than McNeese State to be that team. The outcome of the tournament remains to be seen for McNeese, but we know that McNeese is here to play.
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