Guards take call to win in Blacksher's absence

Thursday, January 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UT Arlington

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1/11/2023 7:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU Notes UTA Notes

Harrison, Baker, McMillian form backcourt trio to overcome star's season-ending injury

By: Paul Coro

Thursday, Jan. 12 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	UT ARLINGTON MAVERICKS (5-12, 0-4 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (11-5, 2-1 WAC)

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

There is no replacement for injured Grand Canyon star Jovan Blacksher Jr. but there may be a remedy for the Lopes.

It comes in the form of a GCU backcourt trio that wants to dedicate its season to him in the form of the team's leading scorer (sophomore Ray Harrison), the team's top perimeter defender (junior Josh Baker) and the team's top shooter (sophomore Chance McMillian).

Thursday night's return to GCU Arena to face new WAC member UT Arlington offers a look at the tweaked Lopes without Blacksher, the WAC Preseason Player of the Year who is out with a season-ending knee injury.

"I love the togetherness they're playing with," Drew said. "I love how they're really working with each other."

It helps that Harrison, a 6-foot-4 guard, carried the role of primary scorer and ball-handler for the previous two seasons at Presbyterian. Harrison averaged 17 points there but is averaging 19.8 points and 3.6 assists over the past nine games for GCU (11-5, 2-1 WAC).

"Everybody has to raise their level of play, whether it's us rotating more, playing more point guard, supporting each other, scoring," Harrison said. "Whatever it is, everybody has to raise their level of play.

"It's easier here because I've got good players around me. I don't feel overwhelmed or feel like I have to carry the load myself because I know my guys are going to bring it."

Baker provides more playmaking ability, especially after cutting his turnovers significantly back to a 1.3 average in the past four games, and has formed the starting wing duo with Harrison for the most of the season.

Although the three guards can revolve ball-handling duty, Harrison was the primary point guard after Blacksher's injury last week at Sam Houston. In his third season under Drew, McMillian has spent the most time in the offensive system.

Known for big March performances, the Lopes need a steady performance from McMillian throughout the back half of the regular season. The Vallejo, California, product rises to moments, playing 34 minutes when GCU gave San Francisco its first loss last season and matching that career high last week for his seventh career start in the overtime win at Sam Houston.

"It just simply means for me to step up," said McMillian, who is shooting 42.9% from 3-point range this season. "Since I have to step up, I have to fulfill the leadership role of 'Nuna' (Blacksher), so I have to talk a lot more than I did in the past.

"I'm coming in very confident. I'm not nervous or scared. I feel like I'm prepared for this. The time is here."

McMillian averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in last week's games, when Blacksher only played the first 11 minutes at Sam Houston.

GCU already was without another starter, junior power forward Yvan Ouedraogo, who underwent surgery to repair a left hand fracture last month and is expected to return this regular season.

"This team has had to overcome adversity," Drew said. "I thought they responded really well over the weekend, and we just need to keep responding."

And the Lopes will do it with No. 10 in their hearts, minds and ears.

"That night, when I first heard the news, it struck me hard because I'm real close with him," Harrison said of Blacksher's torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. "He's got a good heart. I hate to see stuff like that happen to him. I was ready to dedicate, not just that next game, but the whole season to him because I feel it was right."

McMillian added, "We're definitely playing for him. The whole team is playing for him, Derrick (Michael Xzavierro), Zay (Isaiah Shaw) and Yvan. We're playing for all the dudes who can't play because we know they wish they were on the court."

Lope tracks

GCU ranks No. 98 by the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).
UT Arlington is on a five-game losing streak with defeats to Tarleton, Stephen F. Austin, Utah Valley and Seattle U, the last three of which came at home.
The Mavericks only shoot 39.7% but rank second nationally with 14.7 offensive rebounds per game. Sophomore Shemar Wilson, a 6-foot-9 Tolleson High graduate, accounts for 3.9 per game.
UT Arlington and GCU met once previously on Nov. 20, 2014, when the Mavericks won 66-64 at GCU Arena. Current GCU academic coordinator Jerome Garrison scored 23 for the Lopes.
Harrison has scored at least 16 points in nine consecutive games for the first time in his career. In his previous two seasons at Presbyterian, his longest such streak was six games.
The Lopes are 5-0 when they shoot better than 44% from the field and 9-1 when better than 41%.
GCU is 6-0 in McGlothan's double-digit rebounding games this season. McGlothan ranks 52nd nationally with 8.8 rebounds per game.
The Lopes have made more free throws than their opponents in 13 consecutive games.
Baumann ranks 19th nationally among active players for career 3-point shooting percentage at 42.3%. He is the only player besides Pacific's Luke Avdalovic and Loyola Chicago's Braden Norris with 200 made 3s and 42% accuracy.
GCU ranks No. 18 nationally for opponent field goal percentage (38.5%). The Lopes lead the WAC in least turnovers per game (12.0) and least fouls per game (16.1).

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Jan. 8)
Rank	Team	Record (WAC only)	WAC points
1.	Utah Valley	13-4 (4-0)	3.13
2.	Sam Houston	12-4 (2-2)	2.98
3.	Seattle U	12-4 (3-0)	2.15
4.	GCU	11-5 (2-1)	2.11
5.	Southern Utah	11-6 (3-1)	0.84
6.	Stephen F. Austin	12-5 (4-0)	0.71
7.	Utah Tech	9-7 (1-2)	-0.37
8.	Tarleton	8-8 (2-2)	-0.53
9.	California Baptist	7-8 (0-3)	-0.54
10.	New Mexico State	7-9 (0-4)	-1.65
11.	Abilene Christian	9-7 (1-2)	-1.81
12.	UT Rio Grande Valley	8-8 (0-4)	-2.02
13.	UT Arlington	5-11 (0-4)	-4.17