Will Wade recalls fond memories, current ties in facing alma mater Clemson

Will Wade was on Oliver Purnell's staff as a grad assistant at Clemson. (Photo: Gabriel Mayberry / Imagn Images)

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Monday, March 17 2025

Clemson’s first-round matchup with McNeese carries more familiarity on the surface than some realize.

Well, for those outside of Clemson, at least.

McNeese head coach Will Wade has plenty of history with the Tigers. He graduated in 2005 and got his first opportunities as a basketball coach under Oliver Purnell.

Wade worked as a graduate assistant for two years before securing an assistant role at Harvard in 2007. Before his time at McNeese, he was a head coach for various programs, such as Chattanooga, VCU, and LSU.

He currently holds a tournament record of 2-4, having shown a capability of getting his guys to the big dance, a trend that’s continued in his time with the Cowboys.

In 2024, McNeese was also a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament but fell to Gonzaga in the first round.

Wade closely tracks Clemson athletics, enough to schedule practice around when the Tigers take the field on Saturdays. Despite what will be made about his plenty of personal ties to the program, he chose to keep things light but knows it is all business at the end of the day.

“The first time I hear that fight song, I may twirl my arm for the O-N,” Wade said. “I’ve been gone a long time, and I was on staff for a couple of years. I follow the football program very closely; we don’t practice when they play football. I’ve been gone a long time. It is a great place with great people. I still know a lot of folks there, and all my college friends will be sure to leave me some beautiful messages. Once that ball goes up, I’m all McNeese.”

One of the consistent themes that were brought up in Wade’s availability was Clemson’s size in the frontcourt, specifically how to deal with Ian Schieffelin, Viktor Lakhin, and Christian Reeves.

Wade noted that Reeves was someone they had conversations with while he was in the portal, so it is safe to assume that they’ve seen plenty of his tape.

For Scheiffelin and Lakhin, however, it is less about tape and more about reputation.

McNeese’s leading man carries plenty of respect for the Tigers’ physicality, noting it starts with someone like Scheiffelin, who was an All-ACC Selection to close the regular season.

“Those guys are huge,” Wade said. “They are really big and can rebound the ball. They got a seven-footer in Reeves, who we talked to in the portal. They got some size, almost all of those high-major teams will have some size. That will be the key is to rebound and getting on the defensive glass.”

For both programs entering Thursday, it will be back-to-back appearances in the Big Dance for both squads.

Brownell and Wade made sure to note the significance of simply being in the tournament, and it is safe to assume both are ready for Thursday.

“It never gets old,” Wade said. “Sitting back and watching the kids walk out on that court for practice and seeing how excited they are. That stuff never gets old. It is always exciting.”

Will Wade jokes about playing his alma mater Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament "The first time I hear the fight song I'll twirl my arm at the O-N, I'm just joking... it's all McNeese"

More to come tonight on @KPLC7Sports pic.twitter.com/tJ9y1JIj2I
— Matthew Travis (@MatthewJTravis_) March 17, 2025