Cullowhee N.C. – Western Carolina men's basketball returns home to the friendly confines of Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center on Saturday afternoon for a battle of unbeatens as the Catamounts host the Cowboys of McNeese State in an early-season nonconference showdown. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com. Please note that there will not be a Catamount Sports Network broadcast due to coverage of the final regular-season WCU football game at VMI.
 
Winners of three-straight including road victories over ACC-foe Notre Dame and one of the preseason favorites out of Conference USA in Middle Tennessee, Western Carolina (3-0) is off to the program's best start since a 5-0 beginning to the 1981-82 season. Likewise, McNeese ventures to western North Carolina riding a historical 4-0 start, its best since 1972-73.
 
Senior guard Vonterius Woolbright leads the Catamounts, averaging a double-double through the first three games with a SoCon-best 20.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game to also rank among the Top Five in the league. The SoCon's Preseason Player of the Year earned the conference's first weekly honor of the season on Monday, the first of his three-year WCU career.
 
Woolbright is flanked by sophomore DJ Campbell who likewise has a trio of double-digit scoring efforts to start the season, averaging 14.7 points per game. Senior guard Russell Jones Jr. is pouring in 11.7 points per contest with Bernard Pelote just outside of double-digits at nine points per outing.
 
McNeese State opened the year with an impressive 76-65 road win over VCU in Richmond, Va., back on Nov. 6. The other three home wins have come against a trio of non-Division I foes including College of Biblical Studies and Champion Christian out of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) and NCAA Division III LeTourneau on Tuesday evening.
 
The Cowboys were edged out by Southeastern Louisiana as the preseason pick in the Southland Conference entering the 2023-24 season. Three Cowboys landed on the preseason All-Southland Conference men's basketball team, headlined by post Christian Shumate (15.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg in 2022-23), who set a Southland Conference tournament record for rebounds last season. TCU transfer Shahada Wells joined Shumate on the preseason first-team, with junior guard Javohn Garcia earning a second-team nod.
 
Through the first four games, Wells leads four Cowboys in double-figure scoring at 13.5, with Shumate (12.8 ppg), DJ Richards Jr. (12.5 ppg), and Antavion Collum (10.8), while Garcia is just outside at 9.8 ppg. Shumate is averaging a double-double with a team-best 10.0 rebounds per game.
 
Saturday afternoon's game is just the second all-time meeting between the Catamounts and Cowboys on the men's basketball hardwood coming in consecutive years. It's also the first trip for McNeese to Cullowhee. Last season in the opening game of a three-game multi-team event (MTE) in Lake Charles, La., the Catamounts downed the hosts 88-69. Tre Jackson led four Catamounts in double figures with a career-best 21 points coming on seven made 3-pointers as WCU never trailed. He was joined by returners Jones Jr. with 17 points and Pelote with 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
WCU has played four of the current 10 teams in the Southland Conference including two – McNeese State and Lamar – last season. The Catamounts are 4-1 in those five meetings.
 
Following Saturday's matchup with McNeese State, WCU is idle until hosting North Alabama on Sunday, Nov. 26, with a 4 p.m. game time at Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center.
 
Both single-game and season tickets for Catamount basketball at Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center are on sale now and include a $101 All-Hoops General Admission Season Ticket that is good for all home men's and women's basketball games. Adult season tickets for men's basketball are just $81. Youth season ticket pricing is also available starting at just $36.
 
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Catamount Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or purchase online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@catamountmbb @wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@CatamountMBB @catamounts).