Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Pundits unanimously pick GCU to win WAC
10/14/2023 1:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Media preseason predictions laud Lopes as champs, Harrison as POY
Repeat thoughts have crossed many Grand Canyon fans' minds in the promising afterglow of the Lopes' second NCAA tournament trip in three years.
With leading scorers Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan being rejoined by former All-WAC first-teamer Jovan Blacksher Jr. this season, GCU fans have taken note of offseason additions with tantalizing impact and wondered if any conference team will match the Lopes staff's and roster's offseason efforts. College basketball pundits don't think anyone can.
The Lopes are proving to be the WAC preseason favorite, judging by media predictions.
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, Lindy's College Basketball, The Almanac, ESPN, KenPom, VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops, College Sports Madness, Mid-Major Central, Bart Torvik and Burner Ball each picked GCU to win the conference this season, which has a Nov. 1 exhibition before the Nov. 6 opener against Southeast Missouri.
Among outlets ranking teams, Blue Ribbon, Lindy's, The Almanac, KenPom, College Sports Madness, Mid-Major Central, Bart Torvik and VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops each put Stephen F. Austin in second and Seattle U in third. VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops also had Stephen F. Austin second, but California Baptist was its third-place team.
Other GCU-related predictions include:
85. Stephen F. Austin
125. Seattle U
With leading scorers Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan being rejoined by former All-WAC first-teamer Jovan Blacksher Jr. this season, GCU fans have taken note of offseason additions with tantalizing impact and wondered if any conference team will match the Lopes staff's and roster's offseason efforts. College basketball pundits don't think anyone can.The Lopes are proving to be the WAC preseason favorite, judging by media predictions.
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, Lindy's College Basketball, The Almanac, ESPN, KenPom, VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops, College Sports Madness, Mid-Major Central, Bart Torvik and Burner Ball each picked GCU to win the conference this season, which has a Nov. 1 exhibition before the Nov. 6 opener against Southeast Missouri.
Among outlets ranking teams, Blue Ribbon, Lindy's, The Almanac, KenPom, College Sports Madness, Mid-Major Central, Bart Torvik and VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops each put Stephen F. Austin in second and Seattle U in third. VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops also had Stephen F. Austin second, but California Baptist was its third-place team.
Other GCU-related predictions include:
- Harrison was tabbed as WAC Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon, Lindy's, ESPN, WAC Hoops Nation and Burner Ball. Mid-Major Central picked Seattle U guard Cameron Tyson.
- Lindy's put Harrison and Blacksher on a preseason All-WAC first team and McGlothan on second team. It also called Harrison the "most versatile" player in the conference and Blacksher the "best playmaker."
- Blue Ribbon gave GCU "top backcourt" and "top frontcourt" in the conference.
- College Sports Madness ranked the Lopes 69th nationally.
- Burner Ball said GCU has "second-weekend potential," referring to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.
- ESPN's Bracketology projected the Lopes as a No. 12 seed in March's NCAA tournament.
- Dr. Roto put GCU among the "five mid-majors to watch."
- Mid-Major Madness had the Lopes as "also considered" for its mid-major top 10.
Blue Ribbon
- GCU
- Stephen F. Austin
- Seattle U
- Utah Valley
- Abilene Christian
- California Baptist
- UT Arlington
- Southern Utah
- UT Rio Grande Valley
- Tarleton State
- Utah Tech
Lindy's
- GCU
- Stephen F. Austin
- Seattle U
- UT Arlington
- Utah Valley
- Abilene Christian
- Tarleton State
- California Baptist
- Southern Utah
- UT Rio Grande Valley
- Utah Tech
The Almanac
- GCU
- Stephen F. Austin
- Seattle U
- UT Arlington
- Abilene Christian
- Tarleton State
- Utah Valley
- California Baptist
- UT Rio Grande Valley
- Southern Utah
- Utah Tech
KenPom
- GCU
- Stephen F. Austin
- Seattle U
- Utah Valley
- Abilene Christian
- California Baptist
- UT Arlington
- Tarleton State
- Utah Tech
- UT Rio Grande Valley
- Southern Utah
VSiN Coast to Coast Hoops
- GCU
- Stephen F. Austin
- California Baptist
- Abilene Christian
- Seattle U
- Tarleton State
- UT Rio Grande Valley
- UT Arlington
- Utah Valley
- Southern Utah
- Utah Tech
College Sports Madness (WAC in national top 144)
69. GCU85. Stephen F. Austin
125. Seattle U
Players Mentioned
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