Injury puts early end to Blacksher's season

Grand Canyon junior point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.'s season began with great promise as WAC Preseason Player of the Year, but it came to an abrupt and agonizing end this weekend when he learned that he needs knee surgery.

Blacksher injured his right knee Thursday night at Sam Houston on a dribble drive with 9:18 remaining in the first half. A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament that will require surgery and several months of rehabilitation.

"Everything happens for a reason," Blacksher said. "I believe in that. I just feel like it's something that's going to open my eyes in a different perspective of life and basketball and just as a person. It's going to make me become a better basketball player and man."

Blacksher's GCU teammates have begun dedicating the season to their leader with personal and public messaging.

"We all jell really well and get along," Blacksher said while attending Monday's practice. "I know that's typical for every team to say, but this team that we've got here is different. I definitely appreciate the support. It shows how much I was to the team and a part of the team. To see the guys go out there and tell me they're going to play for me is a good feeling."

In his 97th career start, Blacksher reached 1,229 points, leaving him 20 points away from cracking GCU's all-time career scoring top 10. The fourth-year starter, who has a year of eligibility remaining from the NCAA COVID-19 waiver, already is fourth on the all-time GCU assists list and fifth on the program's steal list. He holds the Lopes' Division I-era steals record (157) and was 31 away from DeWayne Russell's Division I-era assists record (423).

"It's really tough to see any player get injured, let alone a season-ending injury to a guy who has had such a big impact on our program and our school, especially in his senior year to not get a chance to perform like he wants before he graduates," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said.

Last season, Blacksher averaged 15.8 points, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals with 39.4% 3-point shooting and 41.6% from the field. Blacksher, mired last month by an ankle injury, missed three previous starts before Saturday and was averaging 10.7 points, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals this season with 24.4% shooting on 3s and 39.0% from the field.

Blacksher was on his way to scoring when the non-contact injury occurred Thursday night at Sam Houston.

"I remember I was trying to get a bucket on a fastbreak," Blacksher said with a giggle. "I was going up on a transition play and about to go into score. I don't believe I made it up. I felt a little stiff, and then I ended up on the floor with a feeling I've never felt before."

The Lopes will lean on their backcourt depth to make up for Blacksher's absence with three other playmakers ⁠— sophomore and leading scorer Ray Harrison, junior Josh Baker and sophomore Chance McMillian. The guard trio is averaging 30.5 points and 7.5 assists cumulatively for GCU, which is 11-5 and already was playing without another injured starter, junior power forward Yvan Ouedraogo.

"It's an opportunity for other guys to step up," Drew said. "We counted on having the four guards and you'd always like to have four primary ball-handlers, so being down one definitely hurts us. The big key is those other three really need to stay healthy the rest of the year because there's no question we'll miss Jovan's ball-handling."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Josh Baker

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Ray Harrison

Chance McMillian

Yvan Ouedraogo

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