Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Josh Hauser
Insider: Baylor's Drew optimistic for GCU's Drew
1/12/2021 11:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
No. 2 team's coach visited brother for Lopes-Texans game
With a Saturday afternoon win in his Baylor coat pocket, Scott Drew took a different bench seat as a spectator Saturday night and found it to be no more comfortable.
Drew, the second-ranked Bears' head coach, loves everything about the support, facilities and mission that his brother, Bryce, found at Grand Canyon but the purple package did not make it any more relaxing to be a big brother watching tense Lopes' wins on a stream Friday night and in person on Saturday night.
"No question, it's a lot tougher," Scott said. "They wear you out. It's emotional."
Scott gets every nuance of what any coaching win takes in preparation, angst and decision-making. Scott and Bryce grew up playing for a Hall of Fame-coaching father, Homer, and now are contributing to the Drews becoming NCAA basketball's second-winningest coaching family (1,183 wins) to the Ibas (1,632 wins).
Scott sees what Bryce has at GCU after lifting Baylor to a national power. He took over a program mired in NCAA sanctions in 2003, laid a foundation of principles and recruiting and guided the Bears to a 24-win average over the past 13 seasons.
"Being at a Power Five school, you love being at a place with a lot of resources because you want your kids to get the best," Scott said. "At GCU, you get the exact same thing and that's a credit to the president and administration. The fan support and what they do at home games is unbelievable.
"In the coaching profession, we all know what a good opportunity GCU can turn into as more people are finding out about it nationally. And the great thing is they'll find out about it for the right reasons with what people are doing on and off the court for the school."
When GCU's 13-0 run in crunch time closed out a second consecutive win Saturday night, the Drew brothers lingered on the Tarleton court breaking down what had unfolded. Scott was impressed with Bryce's switch to a zone defense that stifled the Texans and how Bryce and his staff of Power Five-experienced assistants pulled out two road wins against the same team in a 26-hour span.
"The staff that my brother has is full of a bunch of high-character Christian men that are going to make the university very proud," Scott said. "They're building a culture that will make the university very proud. As a big brother, I've been so impressed with the professionalism of GCU from the president (Brian Mueller) to the athletic director (Jamie Boggs) to how they approach Athletics and what they care about on and off the court."
The family reunion came about because Baylor graduate assistants Rem Bakamus and Matt Gray had rented a car to attend GCU-Tarleton and visit their former Baylor GA colleague Peyton Prudhomme, GCU's director of video operations.
"When I found out they were going, I was like, 'You got room for me?' " Scott said.
Not a lot. They had rented a Ford Mustang. So after a car upgrade to a sedan, the GAs who had started their day with a 4 a.m. workout drove the coach about 90 minutes from Fort Worth to Stephenville in time for the 7 p.m. tip-off.
"Logistically, I didn't think it would work out timewise because it was going to be 6:30 by the time we got back to Baylor," Scott said. "I wasn't smart enough thinking about leaving Fort Worth for here. That's why, as a head coach, you've got to surround yourself with guys who are smarter than you."
It was an even bigger family gathering with their brother-in-law, Casey Shaw, also on the Lopes staff.
"It definitely meant a lot," Bryce said. "To come straight from his game to see ours, especially with a short turnaround to a Tuesday game, and how it's been hard to get to see him like we usually would, it was a special time."
Once the brothers' visit was done and they finished joking about how coaching is graying Bryce's hair and thinning Scott's hair, Bryce headed to the team bus and delved back into what had unfolded in his hotel room. Scott and the GAs hopped in the car to return to Waco with Scott going over his game video in the back seat.
"He's got another 40 years in him," Scott said of Bryce. "I see nothing but great things on the horizon as they continue to be more and more prominent and continue to develop. I couldn't be more proud of my brother and the people he associates with."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Drew, the second-ranked Bears' head coach, loves everything about the support, facilities and mission that his brother, Bryce, found at Grand Canyon but the purple package did not make it any more relaxing to be a big brother watching tense Lopes' wins on a stream Friday night and in person on Saturday night.
"No question, it's a lot tougher," Scott said. "They wear you out. It's emotional."
Scott gets every nuance of what any coaching win takes in preparation, angst and decision-making. Scott and Bryce grew up playing for a Hall of Fame-coaching father, Homer, and now are contributing to the Drews becoming NCAA basketball's second-winningest coaching family (1,183 wins) to the Ibas (1,632 wins).
Scott sees what Bryce has at GCU after lifting Baylor to a national power. He took over a program mired in NCAA sanctions in 2003, laid a foundation of principles and recruiting and guided the Bears to a 24-win average over the past 13 seasons.
"Being at a Power Five school, you love being at a place with a lot of resources because you want your kids to get the best," Scott said. "At GCU, you get the exact same thing and that's a credit to the president and administration. The fan support and what they do at home games is unbelievable.
"In the coaching profession, we all know what a good opportunity GCU can turn into as more people are finding out about it nationally. And the great thing is they'll find out about it for the right reasons with what people are doing on and off the court for the school."
When GCU's 13-0 run in crunch time closed out a second consecutive win Saturday night, the Drew brothers lingered on the Tarleton court breaking down what had unfolded. Scott was impressed with Bryce's switch to a zone defense that stifled the Texans and how Bryce and his staff of Power Five-experienced assistants pulled out two road wins against the same team in a 26-hour span.
"The staff that my brother has is full of a bunch of high-character Christian men that are going to make the university very proud," Scott said. "They're building a culture that will make the university very proud. As a big brother, I've been so impressed with the professionalism of GCU from the president (Brian Mueller) to the athletic director (Jamie Boggs) to how they approach Athletics and what they care about on and off the court."
The family reunion came about because Baylor graduate assistants Rem Bakamus and Matt Gray had rented a car to attend GCU-Tarleton and visit their former Baylor GA colleague Peyton Prudhomme, GCU's director of video operations.
"When I found out they were going, I was like, 'You got room for me?' " Scott said.
Not a lot. They had rented a Ford Mustang. So after a car upgrade to a sedan, the GAs who had started their day with a 4 a.m. workout drove the coach about 90 minutes from Fort Worth to Stephenville in time for the 7 p.m. tip-off.
"Logistically, I didn't think it would work out timewise because it was going to be 6:30 by the time we got back to Baylor," Scott said. "I wasn't smart enough thinking about leaving Fort Worth for here. That's why, as a head coach, you've got to surround yourself with guys who are smarter than you."
It was an even bigger family gathering with their brother-in-law, Casey Shaw, also on the Lopes staff.
"It definitely meant a lot," Bryce said. "To come straight from his game to see ours, especially with a short turnaround to a Tuesday game, and how it's been hard to get to see him like we usually would, it was a special time."
Once the brothers' visit was done and they finished joking about how coaching is graying Bryce's hair and thinning Scott's hair, Bryce headed to the team bus and delved back into what had unfolded in his hotel room. Scott and the GAs hopped in the car to return to Waco with Scott going over his game video in the back seat.
"He's got another 40 years in him," Scott said of Bryce. "I see nothing but great things on the horizon as they continue to be more and more prominent and continue to develop. I couldn't be more proud of my brother and the people he associates with."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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