McGlothan returns home to GCU

Grand Canyon improved each of the past six years since joining the Division I ranks.

Gabe McGlothan improved each of the past six years since starting high school crosstown in Chandler.

GCU and McGlothan will get a chance to see what they can do together. McGlothan, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound power forward, will join the Lopes basketball roster and redshirt the 2019-20 season with eligibility to play three seasons beyond that.

"My potential is peaking and GCU's basketball potential is peaking as well," McGlothan said. "We can meet at the top and both peak together."

McGlothan played his freshman season at Southeast Missouri State, where he averaged a team-high 6.2 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game last season. He earned a starting spot for 11 of the final 12 games and averaged 10.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in those starts with 48 percent shooting (44 percent on 3-pointers).

GCU recruited McGlothan out of Basha High School, where he won a state championship in 2017 before playing for a national high school champion in Connecticut a year later. He did not need much of an introduction to a university where his brother, Aidan, played soccer for four years and his mother, Janelle Danley, works as an admissions manager.

"He reminded me of myself when I saw him play in high school," Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said. "During his freshman year at SEMO, he really developed his outside game. I really loved his progress. He's an extremely hard worker. Smart. He wants to get better. He's definitely my type of player. I'm very excited to have him. With the ability to sit out a year and play three years, he's going to be a big part of our program going forward. I think he's going to be a heck of a player."

McGlothan has a local reputation for being a high-character, team-oriented player. He is a mechanical engineering major. And he is driven to win.

"GCU wants to win and is really close to winning," McGlothan said. "That's exactly what I want. I don't really see any other point of playing basketball if you're not winning. That's one of the main things that I want to be able to do and have an impact. I want to win some championships and have a great time doing it."

First, he will watch for a year. McGlothan will be able to practice with the team and learn the system, but he can't play in games until the 2020-21 season.

"I'm so excited," McGlothan said. "A lot of people look at it as something negative. I want to become the best basketball player that I can be. I believe this redshirt season could be a big step in that. I'm taking a whole different spin. I know there will be bumps and obstacles but I want to be one of the best players, if not the best, in this conference. This redshirt season will have a big impact on that."

His brother, Aidan, laid the groundwork well for him in GCU Athletics. He started for his final two seasons and earned an All-WAC honorable mention as a 6-4 defender who led GCU minutes in 2017.

The basketball roster will have four in-state products next season with McGlothan, incoming freshman Jovan Blacksher Jr., returning leading scorer Carlos Johnson and J.J. Rhymes, who redshirted last season. For anyone who missed McGlothan at Basha, they will be seeing a hustler at GCU Arena. Last season, he broke out for a 27-point, 16-rebound game against Tennessee Tech and an 18-point, 16-rebound game against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

"The biggest thing I believe in is getting all the little things done to win a ballgame," McGlothan said. "One of my focal points is rebounding and being able to get second chances to give our team the best chance to win. I can shoot on the perimeter a little bit and I can also play down low on the post quite a bit, but the main thing for me is my high motor."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Carlos Johnson

Gabe McGlothan

J.J. Rhymes

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