Coro: Youth boasts promising look

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

11/4/2019 10:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU carries DI's 2nd-lowest percentage of upperclassmen

By: Paul Coro

A women's basketball team does not walk onto the court in November with the second-lowest percentage of upperclassmen in the nation and look like a finished product.

This season's Grand Canyon team has built toward the season opener on three program pillars: passion, commitment and unity. The youth may also require patience, composure and understanding.

The Lopes open against Benedictine at noon Tuesday in GCU Arena with three upperclassmen on a 15-player roster.

"The No. 1 thing that I'm really excited about is their cohesion," third-year GCU head coach Nicole Powell said. "They have bought into the culture. They really enjoy each other and do a lot of things off the court. It's truly becoming a family atmosphere and I love that.

"They're buying into the high standards, which are winning games and winning championships. We're not there yet but that's where we're headed. This group is a really important foundational piece. We're a young team. Wanting this program to be something special is their goal."

The Lopes are young but not overly inexperienced because Da'jah Daniel and Laura Piera return from being starters in their GCU debuts last season.

Daniel, a 6-foot-4 power forward, came on strongly last season as she adapted in moving from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College to Division I. Daniel was voted to the All-WAC second team for averaging 9.7 points and 9.1 rebounds during conference play.

"Da'jah has grown a lot in her maturity and handling college life," Powell said. "She's a lot more focused and productive on the court."

Sophomore power forward Carla Balague knows what is coming for Lopes opponents because she often has to handle Daniel in practices. California Baptist saw Daniel's upside when she recorded a 22-point, 24-rebound game in her first GCU start.

"I think she's going to be better this year," Balague said. "When she plays hard, nobody can guard her because she is so physical and good under the rim."

Four freshmen and two sophomores who are junior college transfers will provide instant impact but the Lopes will need to lean on returnees taking early leadership roles.

Piera started all but one game for last season's 7-20 team, when she averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 assists. In the offseason, she also started at point guard for Spain as it won the bronze medal at the Under-19 World Championships with Balague also playing every game for that national team.

"We have to take more responsibility because we're a young team and a lot of them don't know what college basketball is all about yet," Piera said. "We have to be the examples so we can guide them."

GCU's other most experienced returnees are sophomore guard Venla Varis, who made 39.7 percent of her 3-point shots last season, and Balague, who shot 51.4 percent from the field and averaged eight rebounds per 40 minutes.

"We are going to be faster," Balague said. "The attitude is more positive than last year. If we do some things well, we can be so good but we have to keep calm because we are very young. When we play normal and we do what we have to do, we are going to be super good."

Although promising sophomore guard Taylor Caldwell is facing a medical redshirt, the team has 6-1 sophomore forward Kennedi Shorts growing into a larger role. Newcomers Mae Bryant, Tianna Brown, Jada Holland, Mariah Mitchell, Jada Moss and Tavia Rowell provide more depth and speed than GCU had last season. But pollsters foresee GCU in seventh (coaches) or eighth (media) in the conference.

"We just don't have experience," Powell said. "You can't manufacture that. It's just going to take time to build so I know our best basketball is ahead of us in January and February in conference."