Ouedraogo return bolsters try for Texas sweep

Saturday, January 28

Stephenville, Texas / Wisdom Gym

6 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Tarleton

1/27/2023 8:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU Notes Tarleton Notes

GCU tries to be 1st team to win at Tarleton with power forward back in lineup

By: Paul Coro

Saturday, Jan. 28 \| 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Wisdom Gym \| Stephenville, Texas

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (14-7, 5-3 WAC)	at	TARLETON TEXANS (11-10, 4-4 WAC)

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STEPHENVILLE, Texas – As Grand Canyon heads for the midway turn of its conference season, the Lopes are already getting a peek at the road to WAC contention.

In a bunched-up conference, the Lopes are two games out of first place and a Saturday win at Tarleton away from getting back into the WAC Resume Seeding System top four that equates to a WAC tournament first-round bye.

But even in winning at Abilene Christian on Thursday without a pair of injured starting guards (Jovan Blacksher Jr. for the season and Josh Baker for concussion protocol), GCU returned to a winning path by getting its enforcer, junior power forward Yvan Ouedraogo, back after nearly six weeks out for a left hand fracture.

GCU won 75-73 after Ouedraogo grabbed all seven of his rebounds and scored all four of his points in seven minutes of second-half work, when he added a blocked shot with 24 seconds remaining when the Lopes led 74-71. He was an essential presence against Abilene Christian's physical frontline.

Abilene,, TX Jan 26, 2023: GCU during their 75-73 win over Abilene Christian in Abilene, Texas.

Abilene,, TX Jan 26, 2023: GCU during their 75-73 win over Abilene Christian in Abilene, Texas.

"He definitely was rusty," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said of Ouedraogo's 14 minutes of play. "You've seen him for a couple years. He still has to get back in game shape and get back a little spring in his step. In the second half, he was significantly better than the first half. He got into a better rhythm. We've been so short-handed that we haven't been able to play five on five. This was really Yvan's first five on five since he broke his wrist in the Pepperdine game (on Dec. 17), so it was pretty amazing for him to come out in his first live play and do as well as he did."

When Ouedraogo did score, his first basket came with the repaired left hand, his off-hand, on a putback. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Frenchman said the pattern of his game was similar to how he often plays, building on early in-game analysis to find his impact.

"It felt good to be back with my team and help them get a win," Ouedraogo said. "I've been dreaming about this for the past month, so it was really cool. My cardio wasn't bad. I worked out a lot, and I wasn't gassed at all. So I'm able to help my team to the fullest."

Ouedraogo's return fortifies the frontline, where GCU has two versatile big men who are mobile in switching defense and active on the boards. That is deepened by more consistent performance from junior center Aidan Igiehon, another hulking presence at 6 feet 10 and 250 pounds.

Igiehon, with seven points, five rebounds and a blocked shot in 14 minutes against Abilene Christian, teamed with graduates Walter Ellis and Noah Baumann to have GCU win bench scoring 27-8. The Lopes outscored the Wildcats by nine in Igiehon's 14 minutes.

Abilene,, TX Jan 26, 2023: GCU during their 75-73 win over Abilene Christian in Abilene, Texas.

"Aidan did some really nice things out there," Drew said. "He made a really nice pass to Ray and had some big rebounds for us. Our three guys off the bench were all really good. Walter was spectacular with 10 points and his defense in the last three minutes. Noah had another really good game, especially that first half when we were struggling. He pretty much helped keep us in that first half with making shots and making plays for us."

On Saturday night, the Lopes will be looking to become the first team to win at Tarleton (11-10, 5-4 WAC) this season. The Texans, led by head coach Billy Gillispie, posted a 50-point first half against Utah Tech on Thursday night before having to cling to a 74-72 victory. Tarleton also recently beat Southern Utah 78-75 at home earlier this month after knocking off Missouri Valley leader Belmont and challenging Arizona State within three points in November.

"This is the best the WAC has been in decades," Drew said. "There are great teams everywhere we go. There are no easy games in this league, and it's making our guys better. We're improving, and we want to get (Josh) Baker back, keep everybody else healthy and hopefully play our best basketball as this year keeps progressing."

Lope tracks

GCU is 5-0 vs. Tarleton, including a 3-0 record in the Division I era and two victories in Stephenville.
The Lopes won last year's lone meeting 80-59 at GCU Arena on ESPNU, where junior power forward Gabe McGlothan posted 11 points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes.
Tarleton ranks first in the WAC for turnover margin (plus-5.3 per game) but last for rebounding margin (minus-1.7 per game), 3-pointers made (4.5 per game) and assists (12.3 per game). Guards Jakorie Smith and Shamir Bogues combine for 3.3 steals per game.
GCU sophomore guard Ray Harrison has scored at least 16 points in 14 consecutive games. In two previous seasons at Presbyterian, his longest streak of 16-point games was six.
Harrison (38 points vs. Utah Tech), McGlothan (18 rebounds vs. Northern Iowa) and injured junior Jovan Blacksher Jr. (seven steals vs. Grambling) hold the WAC season highs for each category.
The Lopes are 11-2 when they shoot 42.4% or better, including a 6-0 mark when shooting at least 50%.
After going 27 for 52 (51.9%) on 3-pointers in the past 14 games, GCU graduate forward Noah Baumann ranks 14th nationally among active players for career 3-point shooting percentage at 42.6%. 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. 27 nationally for opponent field goal percentage (39.8%) and 44th for opponent points per game (64.0).
The past four GCU games have been decided by five points or fewer for the first time in its Division I era.
The Lopes also have scored more than 70 points in five consecutive games for the first time in the three-year Bryce Drew era.

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Jan. 27)
Rank	Team	Record (WAC only)	WAC points
1.	Sam Houston	16-5 (6-3)	4.21
2.	Seattle U	16-5 (7-1)	3.95
3.	Utah Valley	16-6 (7-2)	3.84
4.	Southern Utah	15-7 (7-2)	2.37
5.	GCU	14-7 (5-3)	2.20
6.	Stephen F. Austin	14-7 (6-2)	1.08
7.	California Baptist	13-8 (5-3)	0.18
8.	Tarleton	11-10 (4-4)	-0.25
9.	Utah Tech	10-10 (2-6)	-1.62
10.	UT Rio Grande Valley	10-11 (1-7)	-2.85
11.	New Mexico State	7-13 (0-8)	-3.22
12.	Abilene Christian	10-11 (2-6)	-3.35
13.	UT Arlington	7-15 (2-7)	-5.20