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Grand Canyon University Athletics
All-WAC puts Blacksher on 1st, Woods on 2nd
3/7/2022 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
GCU backcourt combined for 30.1 points, 7.2 assists per game
Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Holland Woods II distinguished themselves all season as the backcourt that led Grand Canyon's 22-7 season and the only WAC duo to combine for 30 points and seven assists per game.
The WAC coaches turned that distinguished play into distinction, voting Blacksher to his debut on the All-WAC first team and placing Woods on the All-WAC second team and the WAC All-Newcomer team.
With Woods transferring from Arizona State to join Blacksher's third GCU season, the Lopes guards formed instant chemistry and benefited each other's games with their combo guard skills. It clicked for a 22-7 season with a 13-5 WAC record.
"They had such a great connection from Day 1," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "With them being the primary ballhandlers and them creating and doing things, it starts with them. When those two are so aligned with each other, it just rubs off to the other guys on the team."
The Phoenix Shadow Mountain High School graduate ranked in the conference's top four for 3-point percentage (first, 40.8%), assist-to-turnover ratio (second, 2.1 to 1), assists per game (tied for third, 4.0) and steals per game (1.8) while averaging a team-best 16.0 points to be the WAC's seventh-highest scorer.
Blacksher is one of five players in the nation to finish the regular season by averaging at least 16.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting at least 40% from 3-point range. South Dakota State's Baylor Scheierman, Ohio's Mark Sears, UAB's Jordan Walker and Minnesota's Payton Willis were the others.
The most drastic statistical improvement came in Blacksher's 3-point shooting, which went from making 29.3% of his 3s over his first two GCU seasons to hitting 40.8% this season. He made more 3s this season (60) than in the first two seasons combined (54).
His greatest intangible growth was in how Blacksher became more vocal with his leadership as the team's only returning starter.
"He's always been really competitive, but his competitiveness now goes along with his leadership," Drew said. "It shows his maturity and growth while being at Grand Canyon. It's cool to see."
The 5-foot-11 guard became the fourth GCU Division I-era player to score 1,000 career points this season and he also holds the GCU Division I-era records for steals in a season (52) and a career (138) with two more eligibility years remaining.
Blacksher has started all 83 appearances of his career, going from WAC Freshman of the Year in 2019-20 to All-WAC second team and WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player last season to the first-team honors this season.
Woods made an immediate impact after returning to his West Valley roots as a graduate transfer from ASU. The Glendale Apollo High School product became one of five active players in Division I basketball to reach 1,900 points and 600 assists by averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists per game. The others are Iowa's Jordan Bohannon, Connecticut's R.J. Cole, Richmond's Jacob Gilyard and ASU's Marreon Jackson.
In more than doubling his scoring average from last season at ASU, Woods delivered eight 20-point games for GCU with career-best 37.1% 3-point shooting. In Woods' first four seasons (three at Portland State and one at ASU), Woods was a 29.9% career 3-point shooter.
Woods' 653 assists ranks ninth among active players while his 1,936 points puts him at No. 25. He also posted the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games at 2.4 to 1 while ranking seventh in the conference for his 79.4% free-throw shooting.
GCU went 15-1 when Woods delivered three assists or more in games. Woods posted as many games with four or more made 3-pointers (five) as he had in his first four college seasons combined.
"It's been amazing," Woods said of his Lopes year. "It's been special. I want to thank the fans who have been with us the whole time."
The WAC coaches turned that distinguished play into distinction, voting Blacksher to his debut on the All-WAC first team and placing Woods on the All-WAC second team and the WAC All-Newcomer team.
With Woods transferring from Arizona State to join Blacksher's third GCU season, the Lopes guards formed instant chemistry and benefited each other's games with their combo guard skills. It clicked for a 22-7 season with a 13-5 WAC record.
"They had such a great connection from Day 1," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "With them being the primary ballhandlers and them creating and doing things, it starts with them. When those two are so aligned with each other, it just rubs off to the other guys on the team."
The Phoenix Shadow Mountain High School graduate ranked in the conference's top four for 3-point percentage (first, 40.8%), assist-to-turnover ratio (second, 2.1 to 1), assists per game (tied for third, 4.0) and steals per game (1.8) while averaging a team-best 16.0 points to be the WAC's seventh-highest scorer.Blacksher is one of five players in the nation to finish the regular season by averaging at least 16.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting at least 40% from 3-point range. South Dakota State's Baylor Scheierman, Ohio's Mark Sears, UAB's Jordan Walker and Minnesota's Payton Willis were the others.
The most drastic statistical improvement came in Blacksher's 3-point shooting, which went from making 29.3% of his 3s over his first two GCU seasons to hitting 40.8% this season. He made more 3s this season (60) than in the first two seasons combined (54).
His greatest intangible growth was in how Blacksher became more vocal with his leadership as the team's only returning starter.
"He's always been really competitive, but his competitiveness now goes along with his leadership," Drew said. "It shows his maturity and growth while being at Grand Canyon. It's cool to see."
The 5-foot-11 guard became the fourth GCU Division I-era player to score 1,000 career points this season and he also holds the GCU Division I-era records for steals in a season (52) and a career (138) with two more eligibility years remaining.
Blacksher has started all 83 appearances of his career, going from WAC Freshman of the Year in 2019-20 to All-WAC second team and WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player last season to the first-team honors this season.
Woods made an immediate impact after returning to his West Valley roots as a graduate transfer from ASU. The Glendale Apollo High School product became one of five active players in Division I basketball to reach 1,900 points and 600 assists by averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists per game. The others are Iowa's Jordan Bohannon, Connecticut's R.J. Cole, Richmond's Jacob Gilyard and ASU's Marreon Jackson.In more than doubling his scoring average from last season at ASU, Woods delivered eight 20-point games for GCU with career-best 37.1% 3-point shooting. In Woods' first four seasons (three at Portland State and one at ASU), Woods was a 29.9% career 3-point shooter.
Woods' 653 assists ranks ninth among active players while his 1,936 points puts him at No. 25. He also posted the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games at 2.4 to 1 while ranking seventh in the conference for his 79.4% free-throw shooting.
GCU went 15-1 when Woods delivered three assists or more in games. Woods posted as many games with four or more made 3-pointers (five) as he had in his first four college seasons combined.
"It's been amazing," Woods said of his Lopes year. "It's been special. I want to thank the fans who have been with us the whole time."
Major WAC awards |
||
| Award | Player | School |
| Player of the Year | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley |
| Freshman of the Year | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist |
| Sixth Man of the Year | Jaylin Jackson-Posey | Stephen F. Austin |
| Coach of the Year | Chris Victor | Seattle U |
All-WAC first team |
||
| Name | Year/position | School |
| Fardaws Aimaq | Redshirt sophomore/center | Utah Valley |
| Teddy Allen | Redshirt junior/guard | New Mexico State |
| Jovan Blacksher Jr. | Sophomore/guard | Grand Canyon |
| Gavin Kensmil | Senior/forward | Stephen F. Austin |
| Savion Flagg | Graduate/forward | Sam Houston |
| Hunter Schofield | Senior/forward | Dixie State |
| Darrion Trammell | Sophomore/guard | Seattle U |
| Cameron Tyson | Redshirt sophomore/guard | Seattle U |
All-WAC second team |
||
| Name | Year/position | School |
| Brandon Betson | Junior/guard | Chicago State |
| Montre Gipson | Senior/guard | Tarleton |
| Justin Johnson | Junior/guard | UT Rio Grande Valley |
| David Kachelries | Senior/guard | Stephen F. Austin |
| Johnny McCants | Redshirt senior/forward | New Mexico State |
| Sir'Jabari Rice | Redshirt junior/guard | New Mexico State |
| Airion Simmons | Junior/forward | Abilene Christian |
| Holland Woods II | Graduate/guard | Grand Canyon |
Players Mentioned
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