Team's fresh look debuts at GCU Arena

Friday, Oct. 28 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix

	EASTERN NEW MEXICO GREYHOUNDS	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES

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The Grand Canyon coaches and players have been in and out of GCU Arena since March, but the experience just has not been the same.

That missing something of the game-night experience returns Friday night, when the Lopes unveil their new look in front of a familiar one – a rocking arena. GCU plays a 7 p.m. exhibition game against Eastern New Mexico with the regular-season opener coming 10 days later against defending Big Sky champion Montana State at GCU Arena.

Other than a private scrimmage with Arizona State on Saturday, this public debut will be the Lopes' last chance to look at lineup rotations, sharpen play-running and put competition on video for analysis.

Yvan Ouedraogo

"As a coach, you wish you had more exhibition games because we have a lot of players who have played well, and we feel are deserving of getting minutes," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "Unfortunately, we can only play five guys. We need to get somewhat of a rotation sooner than later. We're heading into our opener, which is against a team that won 26 games last year and is picked to win their conference."

Junior point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. returns from a 23-8 team as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year. He has returning starting lineup accompaniment from junior power forward Gabe McGlothan and junior center Yvan Ouedraogo.

The new look will be a mix of eight returnees and six newcomers, including four Division I transfers – guards Josh Baker (UNLV) and Ray Harrison (Presbyterian) and forwards Logan Landers (Kansas State) and Noah Baumann (Georgia).

"This is like the first showing of how much better each individual has become and how we look as a team," sophomore guard Chance McMillian said. "It's basically a first impression, so we're looking to make a good one.

"I think we're going to surprise the fans about how we play and how together we are this early."

McMillian said he is more excited to the see the reaction of new players to their new home environment, where the Havocs were camping out Thursday night on the Quad in front of GCU Arena.

"They've been telling me it's going to be completely different, and I just want to experience that," said Baumann, a Desert Vista High School graduate from Phoenix. "Sometimes, we rely on our fans and we have arguably one of the best home-court advantages in college basketball. We don't want to disappoint the home crowd. We want to let them know that we love their support.

"It's going to be really exciting to have my family there. We have a really good team with a lot of high aspirations and goals. This is the first step."

Friday, Oct. 28 | 7 p.m. | GCU Arena | Phoenix

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