Alabama Basketball Adds McNeese, Will Wade to 2024-25 Schedule

The Crimson Tide will welcome the Cowboys to Coleman Coliseum, led by a very familiar face.

Jan 29, 2020; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade meets with Alabama / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama basketball has scheduled another tough opponent for its 2024-25 nonconference schedule. The Crimson Tide will take on McNeese in Coleman Coliseum on Nov. 11, per a report from Jon Rothstein.

While McNeese isn't a traditional power, the Cowboys are led by head coach Will Wade. Wade previously spent six seasons as the head coach at LSU, where he and Alabama head coach Nate Oats developed a rivalry. The two had plenty of memorable matchups during Wade's LSU tenure, including the 2021 SEC Tournament championship game, which Alabama won 80-79.

Wade is entering his second season at McNeese after taking the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament in his first year. His squad won 30 games, and ultimately lost in the first round at the hands of Gonzaga.

Wade has been incredibly active in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in a notable number of high-major transfers to his mid-major program. McNeese will assuredly be one of the most talented mid-major teams in the country, and will be a good early-season test for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama's non-conference schedule is loaded as usual, currently featuring games against Creighton at home, Purdue on the road, and Illinois in Birmingham. In addition, Alabama is slated to participate in the Players Era Festival, an NIL-based MTE in Las Vegas, as well as the second annual SEC/ACC Challenge against a to-be-determined opponent.

As is usually the case, Oats is going to give his team plenty of tests in the non-conference to prepare for SEC play and the NCAA Tournament as the Crimson Tide looks to get back to the Final Four.