SAINT MARTIN, U.S. Virgin Islands – McNeese will begin play in the U.S Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Tournament on Friday at 2 p.m. CT against Illinois State at the University of Virgin Islands Gym.
 
All games in the tournament will broadcast live on ESPN+. McNeese will play either Longwood or UAB in the next round. A loss will have McNeese playing at 2 p.m. on Saturday while a win will have it in the semifinals at 4:30 on Sunday.
 
The other side of the bracket includes Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Liberty at 4:30 and George Washington against Kansas State at 7.
 
The championship game will be played at 7 p.m. on Monday.
 
McNeese (2-2) is coming off a thrilling and physical 68-61 win over North Texas on Monday in the Legacy Center to extend its home winning streak to 20 consecutive games, the nation's seventh-longest.
 
In that game, Sincere Parker led three Cowboys in double-figure scoring with 18 points followed by Quadir Copeland who added 11 and Joe Charles with 10 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals. Parker and Copeland both came off the bench where McNeese is ranked 32^nd in the country by averaging 35.8 points off the bench.
 
McNeese's defense held North Texas to a season-low 31 percent shooting in the game and forced 15 turnovers, the most by the Mean Green on the year.
 
Parker is second on the team in scoring with a 15.5 per game average followed by Javohn Garcia with a 12.0 mark. Alyn Breed leads the team with a 17.5 average but will miss the next several games to an injury.
 
Garcia (12.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg) and Charles (6.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) will be in the starting lineup along with Omar Cooper (2.0 ppg, 5.7 apg), Brandon Murray (6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg) and Christian Shumate (8.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
 
As a team, McNeese is 16^th in the nation with 11.5 steals per game and 34^th with 17.0 turnovers forced per contest.
 
Illinois State (3-1) has won three straight games and is coming off a 107-52 win over Trinity Christian in a game where the Redbirds set a new school record with 20 three-pointers made.
 
The Redbirds have five players averaging double-figures in scoring on the season, led by Johnny Kinziger's 13.0 average. Dalton Banks is scoring 12.3 per game while Ty Pence is at 12.0 per contest, Chase Walker 11.5 and Jack Daugherty 10.8. Daugherty leads the team with 13 threes made and is coming off a 28-point outing.
 
The Redbirds are ranked third in the nation in free throw shooting at 84.4 percent.
 
Friday's game will be the eighth meeting against Illinois State and the first since the 2006 season. The Redbirds hold a 6-1 lead in the series.
 
The game will also feature four players named to the Bracketeer.org All-American Watch List – McNeese's Christian Shumate (preseason All-American), Joe Charles and Sincere Parker.
 
2024-25 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Schedule (UVI Gym) – All Times CT and on ESPN+
Friday, November 22
Game 1 – Longwood vs. UAB, 11:30 a.m.
Game 2 – Illinois State vs. McNeese, 2 p.m.
Game 3 – Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Liberty, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4 – George Washington vs. Kansas State, 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, November 23
Game 5 – Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 2 p.m.
Game 6 – Loser G3 vs. Loser G4, 4:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, November 24
Game 7 – Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner G3 vs. Winner G4, 7 p.m.
 
Monday, November 25
Game 9 – Loser G5 vs. Loser G6 (7^th Place Game), 11:30 a.m.
Game 10 – Winner G5 vs. Winner G6 (4^th Place Game), 2 p.m.
Game 11 – Loser G7 vs. Loser G8 (3^rd Place Game), 4:40 p.m.
Game 12 – Winner G7 vs. Winner G8 (Championship Game), 7 p.m.