Cowboys add five players

The McNeese State women’s basketball team added three new faces to its ranks Wednesday as it received three National Letters of Intent. 

The Cowgirls added Bossier Parish Community College transfer Damilola “Dami” Balogun and two local names in Lake Arthur’s Jamara Levy and Fairview’s Maddisen Martin. 

Balogun, a 6-foot native of Lagos, Nigeria, brings size and experience to a squad that will feature a lot of youth with six freshmen. 

As a sophomore at BPCC, she averaged 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. She earned a spot on the Region XIV All-Academic team. 

“Dami is a fantastic kid and a rebounding machine,” said McNeese head coach Kacie Cryer. “She’s a tough kid who can who can shoot from outside but also score inside. She’s athletic and brings a presence that we will need inside. She’s a great student, a great kid and she will be a great asset for our university and our program.”

Levy may not bring much size to the Cowgirls, but what the 5-5 point guard lacks in height she makes up for in intensity and skill, Cryer said. 

In her senior season with the Tigers she averaged 17 points, 8.0 assists and 6.0 steals per game as she helped Lake Arthur reach the Class 2A state championship game in its second consecutive Top 28 Tournament appearance. 

“She’s athletic, quick and she can get to the rim,” Cryer said. “People really struggle to guard her and keep her in front. She’s full of passion and energy and she can defend really well.”

Martin will join former teammate Callie Maddox, who will also play as a freshman after redshirting her first season after undergoing shoulder surgery. 

Martin left Fairview as the school’s career assists leader with 1,116. 

As a senior, she averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game. 

“Maddisen can score in a lot of different ways, and she’s a great passer,” Cryer said. “She’s a tough player and a great leader. She can also defend. She just does whatever her team needs, and that’s what we’re going to need from her.”

The trio joins a group of four high school recruits who signed during the early signing period, including Barbe forward Divine Tanks, Holden guard Kaylee Hughs, Denham Springs forward Maia Robinson and Zachary guard Rayah Haynes. 

The McNeese men’s basketball team also received NLIs from all of its junior college oral commitments in Will Robinson of Gulf Coast State in Florida, Roydell Brown of Southwest Mississippi College, Tykeem Anderson of Trinidad State in Colorado and ShaMarkus Kennedy of Chipola College in Florida. The university also confirmed Texas-El Paso transfer Trey Touchet will play his senior season for the Cowboys.

McNeese head coach Heath Schroyer will speak to the press at 3 p.m. today, though a news release said the Cowboys might receive two more NLIs this weekend.