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
Stand guard: Lopes bolster backcourt depth
9/27/2022 8:31:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Official practices begin with Baker, Harrison fitting with Blacksher, McMillian
Every time Grand Canyon assembles for a first official practice as it did Monday night, the look is new with roster changes, added muscle and refined talents.
But GCU Basketball Practice Facility might not ever have seen a backcourt as talented and deep as the one getting ready for a season that sits just six weeks away.
Jovan Blacksher Jr. is the Lope standard, an All-WAC fixture with 85 career starts and an ever-improving game as a playmaker, shooter and defender.
But with Holland Woods II's collegiate career closed, the Lopes have revamped and revived their backcourt with a four-guard look that features a third GCU season for Chance McMillian and key transfers Josh Baker and Ray Harrison.
"All of our guards complement each other and it's easy to play with those guys," Harrison said. "They're really good and I'm really good and we fit. It reminds me of how Baylor was when they won the national championship. In the national championship game, Gonzaga's guards couldn't compete with them because Baylor had so many guards and they were all so good."
The four combined for 78 starts, 42.5 points per game and 9.9 assists per game last season. McMillian has played two seasons alongside or backing up Blacksher, a junior, and has strengthened his 6-foot-3 frame significantly.
"It's fun to play with 'Nuna,' " said McMillian, who averaged 10 points in the final six games off the bench last season. "He's a fast-paced guard and he just wants to win. That's what I want to do too. I feel like he wants to play off the ball a little more because he's been having the ball so much, so that's a plus for me. I can help him out with that."
That backcourt pairing inspires confidence with what GCU fans have seen, but Lope Nation also will enjoy getting to know Baker and Harrison.
Baker, a Tempe McClintock High School graduate, already was relishing a Valley homecoming when the basketball fit proved to be even better for him. The 6-foot-4 junior is impressing with all-around skills and a chance to do more for the Lopes than in his role last season at UNLV, where he averaged 3.9 points in a part-time starter role.
"I'm getting to be more aggressive and more involved, having the ball in my hands and being able to make plays and decisions," Baker said. "Coach Drew has given me the ultimate confidence to run with my teammates. I'm just happy here and bonding with my teammates."
Harrison, like McMillian and Baker, has the ability to lighten Blacksher's ball-handling and shot-creation duties, as Woods did so well last season.
Harrison uses his stout 6-foot-4 frame to create shots and play physically. Each guard has perimeter shooting ability, which appears to be a team-wide asset this season and couples with threats to score off the dribble.
Moving cross-country from Presbyterian, Harrison is a proven Division I scorer after averaging 17 points per game there in each of his first two seasons. Because of the COVID waiver, last season's All-Big South second-team honoree has three seasons of eligibility remaining at GCU.
"This is a high-major program, coming where I came from," Harrison said. "It's a way different atmosphere. One of the things that I love the most is how I'm not allowed to be comfortable. Every day is a learning experience. Every day, I have to come in and be on my Ps and Qs. I can't just come in and lollygag and still get away with it. That alone is something I value."
The depth gives third-year head coach Bryce Drew lineup options, one of the primary facets he and his staff start examining more as the allowed practice time increases this week.
"We have a lot of players at a lot of positions that we think can contribute," Drew said. "The key is finding which guys work well together and how quickly they can comprehend what we're trying to do on the court, offensively and defensively."
Whether a newcomer or a returnee, each Lopes guard talks about the fit of backcourt combinations. The versatile skills creates a quick comfort with playing with each other since the summer.
Much of that comes with having a player like Blacksher, coming off a season of 15.8 points, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Only five other players hit each of those averages last season, but none of them shot as well as Blacksher did from 3-point range (39.4%).
"It feels like we trust each other a lot more," McMillian said. "We're still learning how to play off each other and continuing to build chemistry. It's working so far."
But GCU Basketball Practice Facility might not ever have seen a backcourt as talented and deep as the one getting ready for a season that sits just six weeks away.
Jovan Blacksher Jr. is the Lope standard, an All-WAC fixture with 85 career starts and an ever-improving game as a playmaker, shooter and defender.
But with Holland Woods II's collegiate career closed, the Lopes have revamped and revived their backcourt with a four-guard look that features a third GCU season for Chance McMillian and key transfers Josh Baker and Ray Harrison.
"All of our guards complement each other and it's easy to play with those guys," Harrison said. "They're really good and I'm really good and we fit. It reminds me of how Baylor was when they won the national championship. In the national championship game, Gonzaga's guards couldn't compete with them because Baylor had so many guards and they were all so good."The four combined for 78 starts, 42.5 points per game and 9.9 assists per game last season. McMillian has played two seasons alongside or backing up Blacksher, a junior, and has strengthened his 6-foot-3 frame significantly.
"It's fun to play with 'Nuna,' " said McMillian, who averaged 10 points in the final six games off the bench last season. "He's a fast-paced guard and he just wants to win. That's what I want to do too. I feel like he wants to play off the ball a little more because he's been having the ball so much, so that's a plus for me. I can help him out with that."
That backcourt pairing inspires confidence with what GCU fans have seen, but Lope Nation also will enjoy getting to know Baker and Harrison.
Baker, a Tempe McClintock High School graduate, already was relishing a Valley homecoming when the basketball fit proved to be even better for him. The 6-foot-4 junior is impressing with all-around skills and a chance to do more for the Lopes than in his role last season at UNLV, where he averaged 3.9 points in a part-time starter role.
"I'm getting to be more aggressive and more involved, having the ball in my hands and being able to make plays and decisions," Baker said. "Coach Drew has given me the ultimate confidence to run with my teammates. I'm just happy here and bonding with my teammates."Harrison, like McMillian and Baker, has the ability to lighten Blacksher's ball-handling and shot-creation duties, as Woods did so well last season.
Harrison uses his stout 6-foot-4 frame to create shots and play physically. Each guard has perimeter shooting ability, which appears to be a team-wide asset this season and couples with threats to score off the dribble.
Moving cross-country from Presbyterian, Harrison is a proven Division I scorer after averaging 17 points per game there in each of his first two seasons. Because of the COVID waiver, last season's All-Big South second-team honoree has three seasons of eligibility remaining at GCU.
"This is a high-major program, coming where I came from," Harrison said. "It's a way different atmosphere. One of the things that I love the most is how I'm not allowed to be comfortable. Every day is a learning experience. Every day, I have to come in and be on my Ps and Qs. I can't just come in and lollygag and still get away with it. That alone is something I value."
The depth gives third-year head coach Bryce Drew lineup options, one of the primary facets he and his staff start examining more as the allowed practice time increases this week.
"We have a lot of players at a lot of positions that we think can contribute," Drew said. "The key is finding which guys work well together and how quickly they can comprehend what we're trying to do on the court, offensively and defensively."
Whether a newcomer or a returnee, each Lopes guard talks about the fit of backcourt combinations. The versatile skills creates a quick comfort with playing with each other since the summer.
Much of that comes with having a player like Blacksher, coming off a season of 15.8 points, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Only five other players hit each of those averages last season, but none of them shot as well as Blacksher did from 3-point range (39.4%).
"It feels like we trust each other a lot more," McMillian said. "We're still learning how to play off each other and continuing to build chemistry. It's working so far."
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