McNeese Cowboys vs Nicholls State Colonels Prediction, 3/2/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: McNeese Cowboys vs Nicholls Colonels

Date: Monday, March 2, 2026

Location: David R. Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, LA

TV: CBSSN

David R. Stopher Gymnasium is the site where the Nicholls Colonels (12-17) will take on the McNeese Cowboys (24-5) on Monday.

The McNeese Cowboys stepped onto the hardwood against UT Rio Grande and took home the win by a score of 75-68 in their last game. With respect to personal fouls, the Cowboys ended up finishing with 15 and UT Rio Grande accumulated 21 personal fouls. They also made 8 of 27 attempts from long range. UT Rio Grande finished 58.8% at the charity stripe by making 10 of 17 shots. On top of that, UT Rio Grande snagged 28 rebounds (4 offensive, 24 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. UT Rio Grande totaled 12 dimes and had 6 steals for the matchup. Regarding the defense, McNeese allowed the other team to shoot 50.0% from the field on 25 out of 50 shooting. They also dished out 15 assists in this contest as well as forcing 16 turnovers and having 13 steals. Concerning rebounding, they earned 32 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. From the charity stripe, the Cowboys made 21 of their 29 attempts for a percentage of 72.4%. McNeese finished the contest with a 43.1% field goal percentage (25 out of 58) and made 4 of their 18 three-point attempts.

Larry Johnson is someone who was a major contributor for the contest. He accounted for 20 points on 8 out of 17 shooting. He saw the court for 36 mins played and also snagged 8 boards. He went 47.1% from the field and distributed 2 assists.

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McNeese comes into this contest with a mark of 24-5 on the season. They are averaging 80.7 pts per game (73rd in the country) while hitting 47.3% from the field. The Cowboys are hitting 32.3% on three-point shots (194 of 600) and 75.6% from the charity stripe. As a unit, McNeese is pulling down 35.0 rebounds per contest and has totaled 417 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 138th in college hoops in terms of passing the rock. They are losing possession via turnover 9.6 times per game and as a team they are committing 18.6 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on defense, the Cowboys have forced 16.9 turnovers per game while drawing 17.7 personal fouls. They are ranked 108th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 363 surrendered on the year. The Cowboys defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 41.0% (625 of 1,523) and they surrender 32.9 boards per game as a team. They are conceding 33.2% on shots from beyond the arc and they rank 21st in college in points per game allowed (66.4).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Nicholls Colonels walked away with a victory by a final of 53-52 against Lamar. In the matter of how they cleaned up the glass, Nicholls State allowed Lamar to grab 35 in total (10 on the offensive glass). They shot 17.4% from three-point range by connecting on 4 of 23 and walked away from this one shooting 8 of 11 at the free throw line (72.7%). The Colonels permitted Lamar to bury 20 of their 56 tries from the field which had them shooting 35.7% for the contest. In all, the Colonels finished shooting 22 out of 61 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 36.1%. With respect to shots from distance, Nicholls State converted 5 of their 28 attempts (17.9%). They were able to bury 4 of the free throws for a rate of 57.1%. Lamar committed 6 fouls in this contest which took the Colonels to the free throw line for a total of 7 attempts. They coughed up the ball 13 times, while getting 12 steals in the matchup. The Colonels were able to collect 23 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 32 in this game.

Trae English ended up being important for the Colonels in this contest. He tallied 18 points in his 37 mins on the court and had 2 assists for the game. He knocked down 7 of 17 for the matchup for a rate of 41.2%, and had 2 rebounds.

Nicholls State has a record of 12-17 on the season. The Colonels have committed 18.1 personal fouls every game while shooting 66.6% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 13.3 times per contest (229th in college) and they are losing possession via turnover 11.7 times per game. Nicholls State has accumulated 2,126 pts this season (73.3 per contest) and they collect 30.5 rebounds per contest. On the offensive side of the ball, the Colonels are hitting on 43.9% from the floor, which is 266th in the nation.

The Colonels on defense are ranked 241st in college in PPG surrendered with 76.0. They have forced 14.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 47.8% from the field (342nd in college). The Nicholls State defense surrenders 34.9% on shots from behind the 3-point line (210 of 602) and their opposition knocks down 77.2% of their free throw attempts. They have relinquished 14.7 dimes and 36.4 total rebounds per game, which is 280th and 300th in the country.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Nicholls State

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