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
Insider: Cherry, Woods flip roles for ASU game
12/7/2021 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Lopes Insider Blog
Lopes standouts lend helping hands in 8-1 start ahead of Tempe trip
When the first official Grand Canyon-Arizona State basketball game in 41 years was decided on the final shot last year, there could only be one winner when it came down to Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Holland Woods II.
Woods blanketed Blacksher into missing a potential game-winning 3-point try, squeaking out an ASU 71-70 victory that teammate Taeshon Cherry celebrated with Woods at GCU Arena.
A year later, Woods and Cherry have switched sides, swapped jerseys and dedicated themselves to helping Blacksher flip the result when the former Sun Devils return to Tempe as Lopes on Thursday night.
"I'm not going to be the one who says, 'I'm not excited; it's just another game,' " Woods said. "Yeah, I'm excited. But at the end of the day, it's just another game that we need to go out and win."
Woods and Cherry have found a better basketball fit for each's case to contribute to an 8-1 mark, the best GCU start in its nine-year Division I era.
Woods, a graduate transfer combo guard, is only playing slightly more (29.5 minutes per game vs. 26.2) than last season for ASU but has doubled his scoring average from 6.7 to 13.4 and increased his assist average from 1.9 to 3.1.
Cherry, a senior combo forward, had not played since December after taking a leave amid his third ASU season for anxiety. He has averaged 16 to 19 minutes in each of his four seasons but is averaging career highs with GCU this season for points per game (6.6), rebounds per game (3.6), steals per game (1.7) and assists per game (1.6). In the past three games, Cherry has averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 steals.
"It's real weird because everybody was booing me last year (at GCU) and now everybody is cheering for me," said Cherry, who was on the floor when ASU's Remy Martin made the game-winning 3-pointer last year. "I think everybody likes how I bring energy off the bench. I'm going to go 120% every game. Everybody knows I'm going to bring energy and bring hype. I love the GCU crowd and that's the thing that gets me going.
"It's weird to play this game, but you got to embrace it. I'm excited to play. I'm excited to see my guys over there."
Woods and Cherry played 21 and 22 minutes, respectively, in last year's Lopes-Sun Devils meeting when the GCU Arena crowd was limited to 325 students because of COVID-19 protocols.
"The Havocs are 2-0 on the road right now so I'm counting on them to make it 3-0," Woods said after 200 GCU students traveled to Los Angeles for Lopes wins at Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. "I might get a couple boos and Tae might get a couple boos, so hopefully the cheers can balance it off. The 942 Crew (at ASU) used to like me. They probably don't like me too much now."
Woods and Cherry will not face a familiar team at ASU, which has 13 new players and three new assistant coaches this season. The Lopes express appreciation for ASU head coach Bobby Hurley and remain close with some Sun Devils returnees, such as sophomore Marcus Bagley, junior guard Micah Burno and junior forward Jalen Graham. Bagley is expected to miss the game because of injury.
"It's only normal human nature to have memories when you go back somewhere that you've been," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "I'm sure they will have some different emotions, some roller-coaster emotions with playing against people that they know. It's also a great opportunity for them to see people they enjoy from their past.
"I'm confident that they have a good balance going into the game, knowing what they have to do as basketball players while also enjoying the moment that they're in. It's definitely nice that we have both of them on our team this year."
Last year, Woods made a 3-pointer that made Drew call a time out for the wrong GCU reasons. Woods and Drew are helping each other this season, as the Glendale Apollo High School graduate's role has set him up for career-best 42% 3-point shooting after being a career 30% 3-point shooter.
After being an All-Big Sky first-team honoree for Portland State, Woods transferred to ASU last season in part to play in his hometown. For the second consecutive year, he will get to do that, even in a road game.
"I probably don't know half the guys over there, but I've got a bunch of love for Hurley, Bagley, Micah Burno and a bunch of guys over there," Woods said. "It's a little weird, but we all have the same goal and want to get something done."
Woods blanketed Blacksher into missing a potential game-winning 3-point try, squeaking out an ASU 71-70 victory that teammate Taeshon Cherry celebrated with Woods at GCU Arena.A year later, Woods and Cherry have switched sides, swapped jerseys and dedicated themselves to helping Blacksher flip the result when the former Sun Devils return to Tempe as Lopes on Thursday night.
"I'm not going to be the one who says, 'I'm not excited; it's just another game,' " Woods said. "Yeah, I'm excited. But at the end of the day, it's just another game that we need to go out and win."
Woods and Cherry have found a better basketball fit for each's case to contribute to an 8-1 mark, the best GCU start in its nine-year Division I era.
Woods, a graduate transfer combo guard, is only playing slightly more (29.5 minutes per game vs. 26.2) than last season for ASU but has doubled his scoring average from 6.7 to 13.4 and increased his assist average from 1.9 to 3.1.
Cherry, a senior combo forward, had not played since December after taking a leave amid his third ASU season for anxiety. He has averaged 16 to 19 minutes in each of his four seasons but is averaging career highs with GCU this season for points per game (6.6), rebounds per game (3.6), steals per game (1.7) and assists per game (1.6). In the past three games, Cherry has averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 steals."It's real weird because everybody was booing me last year (at GCU) and now everybody is cheering for me," said Cherry, who was on the floor when ASU's Remy Martin made the game-winning 3-pointer last year. "I think everybody likes how I bring energy off the bench. I'm going to go 120% every game. Everybody knows I'm going to bring energy and bring hype. I love the GCU crowd and that's the thing that gets me going.
"It's weird to play this game, but you got to embrace it. I'm excited to play. I'm excited to see my guys over there."
Woods and Cherry played 21 and 22 minutes, respectively, in last year's Lopes-Sun Devils meeting when the GCU Arena crowd was limited to 325 students because of COVID-19 protocols.
"The Havocs are 2-0 on the road right now so I'm counting on them to make it 3-0," Woods said after 200 GCU students traveled to Los Angeles for Lopes wins at Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. "I might get a couple boos and Tae might get a couple boos, so hopefully the cheers can balance it off. The 942 Crew (at ASU) used to like me. They probably don't like me too much now."
Woods and Cherry will not face a familiar team at ASU, which has 13 new players and three new assistant coaches this season. The Lopes express appreciation for ASU head coach Bobby Hurley and remain close with some Sun Devils returnees, such as sophomore Marcus Bagley, junior guard Micah Burno and junior forward Jalen Graham. Bagley is expected to miss the game because of injury."It's only normal human nature to have memories when you go back somewhere that you've been," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "I'm sure they will have some different emotions, some roller-coaster emotions with playing against people that they know. It's also a great opportunity for them to see people they enjoy from their past.
"I'm confident that they have a good balance going into the game, knowing what they have to do as basketball players while also enjoying the moment that they're in. It's definitely nice that we have both of them on our team this year."
Last year, Woods made a 3-pointer that made Drew call a time out for the wrong GCU reasons. Woods and Drew are helping each other this season, as the Glendale Apollo High School graduate's role has set him up for career-best 42% 3-point shooting after being a career 30% 3-point shooter.
After being an All-Big Sky first-team honoree for Portland State, Woods transferred to ASU last season in part to play in his hometown. For the second consecutive year, he will get to do that, even in a road game.
"I probably don't know half the guys over there, but I've got a bunch of love for Hurley, Bagley, Micah Burno and a bunch of guys over there," Woods said. "It's a little weird, but we all have the same goal and want to get something done."
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