LAKE CHARLES – McNeese guard Shahada Wells has been named this week's Southland Conference and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men's Basketball Player of the Week, it was announced on Monday.
 
Wells, a graduate transfer from Amarillo, Texas, averaged 30.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in helping the Cowboys go 2-0 last week with wins against Alabama-Birmingham and UT Martin.
 
Wells defeated UAB 81-60 with Wells scoring 36 points, six boards and two assists. He followed that up with a 25-point outing, adding eight more rebounds, six assists and four steals. He connected on 24-36 (67%) from the field in the two games, including going 5-10 from three-point range and 8-10 at the free throw line.
 
The game will broadcast live on Magic 92.1 and mymagiclc.com. Fans can purchase $5 tickets with a Toys For Tots donation.
  
The Cowboys (7-2) look to continue their best start in 47 years, and after defeating UT Martin on Saturday, have defeated four non-SLC Division I teams for the first time in 35 seasons.
 
Tuesday's game will be the 10^th and final game of head coach Will Wade's suspension as assistant head coach Vernon Hamilton (4-0) will assume the head coaching duties for the final time before Wade returns to the bench on December 13 against Southern Miss.
 
McNeese enters the game ranked No. 30 in the season's first NCAA Net Rating, ahead of teams such as Gonzaga, North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky. All seven of the Cowboys' wins have been by 10 points or more and McNeese is currently 13^th in the nation with a 20.0 scoring margin.
 
As for Wells, his 19.1 points per game average is ranked second in the conference while the 68 field goals made is first in the league and No. 3 in the NCAA. The 172 points scored on the season ranks him No. 1 in the SLC and 18^th nationally and his 56.2 percent field goal shooting tops the Southland. Defensively, Wells is first in the conference with 21 total steals (17^th in NCAA) and second with 2.3 steals per game (38^th nationally).
 
Point guard Omar Cooper leads the conference and eighth in the nation with a 4.71 assist/turnover ratio. Cooper is second in the league with 33 total assists and is third with 3.7 assists per game.
 
Christian Shumate leads the Southland in rebounding with a 10.1 average (18^th in NCAA) and is sixth in the nation with 91 total rebounds. Shumate is also second in the league with 12 blocked shots and first with three double-doubles.
 
As a team, the Cowboys lead the Southland Conference in 11 categories including fewest turnovers committed per game (8.6) where they rank No. 5 in the NCAA, turnover margin (6.6, 7^th in NCAA), three-point shooting (40.8%, 7^th in NCAA), steals per game (11.1, 7^th in NCAA), scoring margin (20.0, 13^th in NCAA), field goal shooting (51.1%, 13^th in NCAA), scoring defense (61.1, 15^th in NCAA), effective FG shooting (57.2%, 26^th in NCAA), assist/turnover ratio (1.6, 27^th in NCAA), FG defense (39.1%, 38^th in NCAA), and winning percentage (77.8%, 49^th in NCAA).
 
Projected Starting Lineup:
PG Omar Cooper – 5.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.8 spg
G Shahada Wells – 19.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 spg
G Javohn Garcia – 9.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg
F Christian Shumate – 12.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 1.0 spg
C Antavion Collum – 11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.78 spg