NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 24 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
7. Christian Shumate (McNeese State)
As a freshman, Shumate didn’t see the court much while at Tulsa. Playing in the first season after the start of the pandemic, he only scored 12 points and clearly wasn’t doing much with the Golden Hurricane. Shumate transferred to McNeese State and has taken a demonstrated step forward these last three years. He was perhaps the most important piece left on a roster that Will Wade took over this past offseason and turned into real winners.
An important factor for the Cowboys, Shumate would put up 12.1 point, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks a game. He helped lead McNeese State on an impressive 30-win season that included a Southland title, though he earned quite the accomplishments for himself. The top rebounder in the league, he was named both First Team All-Southland and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Shumate dropped 18 points and 13 rebounds in an upset at VCU on opening night. He totaled 21 rebounds in a win at UAB and played well in the team’s upset at Michigan with 14 points and 8 rebounds. In a season filled with winning and great performances, he helped key the Cowboys to that league title in the Southland, scoring in double figures in both conference tournament victories. His season then ended on a high note with 19 points and 11 rebounds in their NCAA Tournament defeat against Gonzaga.