Coaches call for consistency

Saturday, November 30

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Purdue Fort Wayne

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11/29/2019 2:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

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GCU returns home to face sharpshooting Purdue Fort Wayne

By: Paul Coro

Saturday, Nov. 30 \| 6 p.m. \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (3-5)	VS	PURDUE FORT WAYNE MASTODONS (4-5)

WATCH: FOX 10 Xtra, ESPN3, GCULopes.com \| LISTEN: 1580 The Fanatic \| STATS: View

The kind of success that Grand Canyon wants will not come from occasional intensity and execution.

For where GCU strives to be by the end of the season, the Lopes need to fill their glass drop by drop with consistency. Monday's win against Illinois State at Paradise Jam offered a taste of success but GCU will have to pour in more of that execution and discipline when it returns to GCU Arena for a 6 p.m. Saturday game against Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Lopes (3-5) and Mastadons (4-5) meet as part of the second Summit League/WAC Challenge, which creates matchups between the two nine-team conferences. The WAC won 6-3 last season but trails 2-1 so far this season with Purdue Fort Wayne arriving in Phoenix following two home wins in which it held opponents to 30.4% and 39.3% shooting.

"We can't take another step back," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "We've got to keep building and keep figuring out why we're winning and why we're playing well."

Majerle shook up the starting lineup Monday in a 68-63 win against Illinois State at the Paradise Jam and still got key output from leading scorer Carlos Johnson in a reserve role. In their first Division I starts, junior college transfer J.J. Rhymes scored a season-high 10 points and freshman Bryce Okpoh grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.

"It just shows those guys that we're going to plug guys who play well and play the right way," Majerle said.

Okpoh's GCU experience has been a whirlwind already. The Dallas-area native contemplated enrolling in a fifth-year prep academy before signing with GCU, which planned to redshirt him until the rotation needed his activity.

The 6-foot-7 power forward has played in every game but grabbed more rebounds Monday (eight) than he accumulated in his first seven appearances combined. He is acclimating to the level and home ambiance while finding his role.

"I'm going to do whatever I have to do to win," Okpoh said. "Most freshmen don't really get this opportunity so I'm going to take it and run.

"I'm definitely getting a lot more comfortable, especially with the fan base we have here. It's something you have to get used to. I really am trying to focus on the little things, like rebounding, getting the 50-50 balls and guard on defense."

Team rebounding, an emphasis for Majerle's shortest team in seven seasons, has improved over the past five games to be even with opponents cumulatively in that stretch.

Offensive teamwork is showing progress too, particularly in recent practices after the Lopes coaching staff showed the players examples of how pro players communicate on the floor.

"It's been really good," Majerle said. "I think we've turned the corner in that area. I think guys have accepted this and they understand that they haven't been very good and they have to play the right way if they want to have success."

GCU showed more trust in the system, getting away from isolation basketball and into more ball and player movement. Lopes junior center Alessandro Lever was aggressive with 9-for-21 shooting on Monday, when double teams on him and the team's passing set up junior guard Isiah Brown for a career-high 21 points.

The Lopes will have to be active on defense Saturday against Purdue Fort Wayne, which ranks fifth in the nation for 3-point attempts. The Mastadons have three players who average at least three 3-point attempts per game and shoot 40% or better from beyond the arc.

"It'll be a challenge for us but we're up for it," Majerle said.

Lope tracks

GCU is 34-6 in the first home games that follow road trips.
Lopes freshman point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. ranks sixth in the nation for minutes played (293).
GCU ranks 36th among 350 teams for free throw percentage at 76.7.
After fouling out of consecutive games earlier this month, Lever has played 35 or more minutes in each of the past five games.
Each WAC team has four or five losses this season.
Purdue Fort Wayne starting guard Marcus DeBerry is a transfer from Northern Arizona, where he averaged 10.3 points in his last Lumberjacks season (2016-17).
Purdue Fort Wayne reserve Cameron Benford played in the same Seattle school district as Brown and played one year of high school ball in Phoenix at Hillcrest Prep.

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.