MARTIN, Tenn. – The McNeese Cowboy basketball team will make a two-game swing in the state of Tennessee beginning Monday night with a tilt at UT Martin followed by a Wednesday night contest at nationally ranked Tennessee.
 
Monday's game against the Skyhawk's will tip at 6 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
The Cowboys and Skyhawks will be meeting for the first time but UT Martin is familiar territory for second-year McNeese head coach John Aiken who was an assistant at UTM for two seasons in 2015 and 2016 under then-head coach and current McNeese Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer.
 
This will be the first meeting against a Southland Conference opponent for UTM since Schroyer and Aiken guided the Skyhawk's to a win over Northwestern State in the 2015 Collegeinsider.com postseason tournament first round.
 
McNeese will enter the game with a 2-4 record and coming off an 89-60 loss at No. 7 Baylor while UTM is 3-4 on the season and looking to remain perfect at home. Against Baylor, McNeese competed closely for the first 25 minutes before Baylor began to put the game away midway through the second half on its three-point shooting.
 
The Cowboys are led by sophomore forward Christian Shumate who is averaging a double-double with 12.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Shumate is one of three Pokes scoring 10 points or more – sophomore guard Johnathan Massie (10.5) and sophomore guard Trae English (10.0).
 
Wednesday's game at Tennessee will be the second against a nationally ranked team in three games. In the next couple of weeks McNeese will also visit Iowa State, who is sure to break into the top 25 after defeating No. 1 North Carolina and remains unbeaten, as well at a trip to No. 2 Houston.
 
Projected Starting 5:
PG – Trae English (10.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, .2.0 spg, 418 FG, .318 3FG, .700 FT)
G – Zach Scott (9.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.2 agp, 1.3 spg, .333 FG, .306 3FG, 4-4 FT)
G – Johnathan Massie (10.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg, .400 FG, .471 3FG, .760 FT)
F – Christian Shumate (12.2 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 spg, .566 FG, .455 3FG, .333 FT)
F – Malachi Rhodes (5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, .414 FG, .615 FT)