McNEESE GAME NOTES

LINCOLN, Neb. – McNeese will tip-off its 79^th basketball season on Wednesday when the Cowboys visit the Big Ten Conference's Nebraska Cornhuskers. 
 
Tip time will be at 11 a.m. and the game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network (DirecTV 610, Suddenlink 414). 
 
Senior guard Dru Kuxhausen (cooks-how-zun), a preseason all-Southland Conference first team selection, and senior guard A.J. Lawson, preseason all-SLC second team, will lead the Pokes into the new season, one year after guiding the Cowboys to their first league postseason tournament in four years. 
 
Kuxhausen, a native of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, will be going back to his home state to play for the first time since joining the McNeese program. 
 
"I'm excited to get the chance to play in my home state," said last year's NCAA three-point champion. "I'm hoping my family will get to see me play in person but with the virus guidelines, I'm not sure what the rules will be for fans at Nebraska." 
 
Kuxhausen single-handedly re-wrote much of the Cowboys' offensive record book last season, setting new season marks for most three-pointers made in a season (125), 3-point percentage in a season (45.8), threes made per game (3.9), 3s made in a game (10), and threes attempted in a game (18). He was also a big part of the Cowboys setting team records for most 3s made (19) and attempted (35) in a game, most threes made in a season (269), and most 100-point scoring games (7). 
 
Lawson is the team's top returning scorer having averaged 14.9 points per game, ranking him ninth in the league. He's expected to handle the point guard duties in the opener, fresh off a No. 3 ranking in the league last season with 4.2 assists per contest. 
 
The second-year Poke scored 20 or more points seven times last season and is one of just two players in the league to score 30 or more twice last season. 
 
Expected to join Lawson and Kuxhausen in the lineup will be 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman guard Collin Warren, 6-8 senior transfer and forward Carlos Rosario, and 6-9 senior transfer and forward KeyShawn Feazell (fee-zell). 
 
"We're excited to get the season started," said third-year head coach Heath Schroyer. "But the biggest thing to us is to keep the team healthy. We test multiple times a week. We're always stressing social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks. 
 
"We have two really good bigs that are new in KeyShawn and Carlos. Those kids have really come in and filled the void left by Sha'Markus (Kennedy) and Roydell (Brown). I'm excited about them and some good young players. We have some experience as well." 
 
The Cowboys will also possess something they haven't had in quite some time – depth. 
 
"For the first time that I've been here, we can go nine or 10 deep," said Schroyer. "The ability to rotate fresh bodies is really going to pay dividends for us, not only early in the season, but as we get later in the season. And I also think it's important because from week to week, you really don't know who will be on your active roster (if a player has to sit because of a positive test)." 
 
Senior transfer Ra'Shawn Langston (6-3, 200), who took a redshirt last season after transferring in from Louisiana Tech, is one of those expected to see a lot of playing time as well as Zach Scott, a junior transfer from Florida Gulf Coast who was recently cleared to play by the NCAA. Scott (6-4, 175) averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds while starting in 23 of 32 games for FGCU last season. 
 
Returning seniors Chris Orlina (6-6, 185), Myles Hutchinson (6-0, 170) and Jeremy Harrell (6-8, 240) and redshirt freshman Evan Palmquist (6-4, 185) are expected to be called upon for quality minutes. 
 
Nebraska finished 7-25 last season and 2-18 in the Big Ten and will be carrying over a 17-game losing streak into Wednesday's opener. 
 
The Huskers completely overhauled their roster during the offseason, picking up one of the nation's top JUCO players in 6-6 guard Teddy Allen and 6-4 guard Trey McGowens, a transfer from Pittsburgh. 
 
Second-year head coach Fred Hoiberg has added eight transfers to his squad this season. 
 
This will be the first meeting between the Cowboys and Huskers on the hardwood. 
 
McNeese will open up its home slate on Monday at 6:30 when it hosts Bacone College at Burton Coliseum.