Opener features firsts for most Lopes

11/24/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

McGlothan's wait, Midtgaard's impact highlight storylines

By: Paul Coro

The wait for a college basketball game and a GCU Athletics event has seemed like forever to many.

Nobody has quite felt the competition absence like Lopes sophomore power forward Gabe McGlothan, who sat out last season for a transfer but also missed GCU practices following knee surgery.

McGlothan comes full circle Wednesday to the GCU Arena where he last played a game when he led Basha High School to a 2017 state championship with 21 points against Corona del Sol and Saben Lee, who played for GCU head coach Bryce Drew at Vanderbilt and became a NBA second-round draft pick last week.

"It's very exhilarating that we have a game coming up," said McGlothan, whose mother is a nine-year GCU admissions counselor and his older brother was a Lopes soccer player. "It's been 632 days since I last played in a game so it's very exciting.

"We were sitting in film talking about Grambling State and I felt that same giddiness and excitement boiling inside of me. I was like, 'I missed this feeling.' It was something different. This competitiveness, I can't wait to put it out on the court."

There are firsts of all different sorts outside of the six players who return from last season's GCU team:

Drew and his staff are coaching their first GCU game.
Senior small forward Oscar Frayer is playing for the first time since March 2019 after missing last season for academics.
Freshmen Liam Lloyd, Chance McMillian and Jayden Stone are making collegiate debuts.
Transfers Asbjørn Midtgaard (Wichita State), Sean Miller-Moore (Oregon State), Rashad Smith (Pima Community College) and Dima Zdor (Weber State) are making GCU debuts.

It will be hard for any fan to miss Midtgaard, a hulking 7-foot, 270-pound center with untapped talent coming in his largest college role. He will start alongside 6-foot-10 power forward Alessandro Lever for an inside-out look to the offense and an upgrade on defense and rebounding.

"It's the best of both worlds," Blacksher said of playing with Midtgaard and Lever "I can come off a pick and I know somebody can pop and shoot it and trust them with a jump shot. Then I can come off and have somebody sitting down there and know that I can go down there. Ash (Midtgaard) is going to catch it and dunk. It's amazing."

Midtgaard was a 58.6% career shooter at Wichita State but he will get more opportunities with GCU. He has come from Shockers teams that went 70-31 and sees success ahead for these Lopes.

"I think we're going to do great," Midtgaard said. "It's fun how we're playing together and as a unit. We're ready and can't wait to play someone else besides us. I just want to win games. That's what I'm here for."

Midtgaard's work ethic reputation preceded his arrival. The Dane's weight room dedication is apparent on his muscular frame, right down to his grip on a ball that appears to dent the leather.

"You know how I normally come and swipe the ball from people?" Blacksher said. "I did that with all my might and the ball didn't go anywhere. It stayed in his hands. That's when I knew he was super strong. That's grown-man strength."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.