GCU, Wyoming defend unbeaten starts

Monday, Nov. 22 \| 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| GCU Arena

	WYOMING COWBOYS (3-0)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (3-0)

WATCH: FOX 10 Xtra (Ch. 45 / Cable 9), ESPN+ \| LISTEN: 1580 The Fanatic \| STATS: View

Less than one-sixth of the nation's Division I men's basketball teams remained undefeated at the close of the second week of the regular season.

Even fewer have played defense like the two undefeated teams that will meet at GCU Arena at 7 p.m. Monday night.

GCU (3-0) will face its toughest test, by far, with Wyoming (3-0), a team coming off a Thursday overtime win at Washington.

The Lopes have run the table through three home games with a defense limiting opponents to 56.0 points per game and 37.3% shooting from the field.

"This team has a high ceiling," GCU junior power forward Gabe McGlothan said. "I don't think we've even scratched the surface."

The Cowboys have been defending even better, boasting the second-lowest opponent field goal percentage in the nation at 31.1% and holding opponents to 54.7 points per game. Wyoming's blowouts have been convincing, torching Detroit by 28 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff by 40 in head coach Jeff Linder's second season in Laramie.

GCU's overall numbers have been strong, but the Lopes needed a program-record 17 3-pointers to minimize the memory of allowing Prairie View A&M to score nine unanswered points for a five-point halftime deficit.

"I don't think you can count on doing that every night, but it is fun to watch when the ball goes in that many times," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said of the team's 3-point shooting, which ranks second nationally at 47.8%.

"We weren't defending that well (in the first half). We weren't rebounding well. Those are indicators that the other team is playing hard than us."

Blackmon makes most of minutes

If GCU freshman guard Jalen Blackmon's season totals were for one performance, it would be a startling game. Blackmon has scored 17 points in 24 minutes on 5-of-9 shooting with three assists, two steals and only one turnover.

But it is even more impressive that those 24 minutes have been diced into short increments where he has entered with a sharpness to immediately knock down shots and make eye-popping assists. The Lopes opened the season in search of a fourth guard for their rotation and it has become Blackmon, who led Indiana high school players in scoring with 33.5 points per game as a senior.

"I really credit our older guards," Drew said of Blackmon's adaptation. "Jovan (Blacksher Jr.), Holland (Woods) and Chance (McMillian) do a really good job in practice with him, helping him and really encouraging him when he's on the court. I think that's one thing that is really important for a younger guard is to have some older guards who can show you the way and help you.

"Jalen plays with such poise out there. He has such a pure stroke. Whenever he gets a clean look, our bench gets pretty excited about it."

Lope tracks

With GCU ranking second nationally in 3-point percentage (47.8%), the backcourt of Blacksher, Holland Woods II, Chance McMillian and Blackmon have combined to shoot 51% from beyond the arc.
GCU and Wyoming are two of 59 undefeated teams in Division I, which includes 358 men's basketball progams.
Wyoming sophomore power forward Graham Ike, who is 6 feet 9 and 252 pounds, ranks ninth nationally with 23.0 points per game with 7.7 rebounds per game. He has shot 57.8% from the field. Senior 6-foot-7 guard Hunter Maldonado adds 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game on 56.4% shooting.
The Cowboys have an Arizona product in starting sophomore guard Xavier Dusell, who played at Arizona Compass Prep and is averaging 9.7 points per game.
Linder took the nation's fifth-youngest roster to a 14-11 record last season at Wyoming after going 80-50 in four seasons as head coach at Northern Colorado.
Monday's game marks the first-ever meeting between GCU and Wyoming and Drew's 300th game as a Division I head coach.
Woods ranks 29th nationally for active career points with 1,593.

Monday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) | GCU Arena

Blackmon makes most of minutes

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Players Mentioned

Jalen Blackmon

Gabe McGlothan

Chance McMillian

Holland Woods II

Grand Canyon University Athletics