Season stretches to face WVU

Roman College Basketball Invitational Wednesday, March 20 \| 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Morgantown, W.Va.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (20-13)	VS	WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (14-20)

WATCH: W VUSports.com \| STATS: View \| FOLLOW: @GCU_MBB

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The letters are different but the scenario will be much the same for Grand Canyon on Wednesday.

The Lopes are playing in the CBI (College Basketball Invitational) tournament rather than the NCAA tournament but they still are a team being sent on the road to face a traditional power in a win-or-go-home situation.

Fresh off the emotional and physical grind of a three-game, three-night trek to the WAC Tournament championship game, the GCU players shifted from the dreams of a NCAA bid to another postseason chance with a 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) game at West Virginia.

The Lopes had the longest first-round trek of the 16-team tournament with a cross-country trip Tuesday after two off-days for recovery. GCU passed the Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley statues to practice Tuesday night at 14,000-seat WVU Coliseum.

"It's anytime we can play basketball," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "We get a chance to continue. Obviously, we're disappointed in not making the big tournament but it gives a chance for guys to play against a storied program from a great conference and in a great place to play. I would hope we're excited about it. Going to play at West Virginia is a pretty big deal. Hopefully, with the travel, we'll be able to play well."

The Lopes (20-13) extend their fourth consecutive 20-win season and the collegiate careers of seniors Trey Drechsel, Michael Finke, Matt Jackson, Gerard Martin. The team played clutch and received career-best scoring games from junior guard Carlos Johnson in the first two tournament rounds and took an 8-0 lead on New Mexico State before running out of energy against the Aggies' depth.

West Virginia (14-20) does not apply full-court pressure to the extent of the program's reputation and lost its top three scorers during the season. But the Mountaineers are still a college basketball stalwart coming off four consecutive NCAA tourney visits and a Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal win against No. 7 Texas Tech last week.

"This is another great opportunity for us to try to come out with a win for the seniors and put it on the line for the school again and showcase that we shouldn't go out like that," said Johnson, who made the All-WAC Tournament team. "We know it's going to be a dogfight and we're going to have to give it all we've got. We'll give 110 percent and God will do the rest.

"A win would be big for the program. Against a great program like West Virginia, it would be amazing."

The Mountaineers have been back in Morgantown since Saturday and have young standouts like freshman power forward Derek Culver, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, who will be motivated for a postseason opportunity. Their lineup includes Jermaine Haley, a 6-foot-7 junior guard who started against GCU for New Mexico State two seasons ago.

With three CBI wins, one of these teams could play in a best-of-three championship series on ESPNU to open April.

"It is bittersweet but I just think back to last year when I would've given anything to play in a game like this," said Drechsel, a transfer from Western Washington. "So you have to be grateful for your opportunities. It's another chance to play. There is so much history here (in Morgantown). The arena feels bigger than the Suns arena. It looks like Daniel in the lions' den."

Wednesday's winner will advance to a Monday quarterfinal against the Howard-Coastal Carolina winner at a site to be determined.

"Hopefully, the guys will rise to the challenge," Majerle said. "I think it's more mental than physical. We're talking about 19- to 22-year-old kids. It's not the Navy Seals boot camp. They played three basketball games (at the WAC Tournament). They had all day Sunday and Monday to recover. Physically, they should be fine. Hopefully, mentally, they can get back at it and find a way to play hard and play well."

Just like New Mexico State, West Virginia thrives on the boards. The Mountaineers rank third in the nation for offensive rebounds per game (14.4). Their 3-point shooting improved over the final three regular-season games (42.3 percent) before dipping at the Big 12 Tournament (31.0 percent).

"West Virginia had a tough year but they're playing well now," Majerle said. "This will be a great test for us."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Roman College Basketball Invitational
Wednesday, March 20 | 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) | Morgantown, W.Va.

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Players Mentioned

Trey Drechsel

Michael Finke

Matt Jackson

Carlos Johnson

Gerard Martin

Grand Canyon University Athletics