Opening Night makes Lopes want to heat up early

Monday, November 6

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Southeast Missouri

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Photo by: Sebastian Molinar

11/5/2023 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU Notes SEMO Notes GCU Media Guide

After last seaon's fiery finish, GCU looks to strike match earlier in opener vs. SEMO

By: Paul Coro

Monday, Nov. 6 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	SOUTHEAST MISSOURI REDHAWKS	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES

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

Grand Canyon's leaders on the court, Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan, are taking in the enticing scenes of a season starting Monday night and the feels are unique for even them.

A year ago, Harrison was navigating nerves and a transition to playing in front of the Havocs and a full GCU Arena. Now, he is the WAC Preseason Player of the Year with an eager confidence for the 7 p.m. season opener against Southeast Missouri.

For McGlothan, he has played in three consecutive season-opening home wins, but he is relishing this team's potential differently as he desires to capitalize on every last moment of his farewell season.

T Ray Harrison

hey know what it took for the magical March Madness ride and have no interest in waiting until later in the season to be that team again. After seasons of climbing toward expectations, the Lopes are ready to soar and know playing a fellow 2023 NCAA tournament qualifier in the opener is fodder for a proclamation.

"That's what is going to catch a lot of people off-guard," Harrison said. "I think we're going to come out of the gates swinging this year. I don't think we're going to wait to be punched in the face. We're going to be ready to punch first."

McGlothan was an integral part of GCU's 2021 and 2023 NCAA tournament teams, but neither of those squads created a buzz that approaches the preseason noise this Lopes team is receiving.

Having their top two scorers, who also were the leading rebounder and playmaker, merit that. But seven Division I transfers with credentials ratcheted up the excitement for GCU, which has been highlighted on national pundits as a team to watch and picked by coaches as the prohibitive WAC favorite.

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 1, , 2023: GCU beats Embry-Riddle 104-46 during their exhibition game GCU Arena.

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 1, , 2023: GCU beats Embry-Riddle 104-46 during their exhibition game GCU Arena.

"The guys who were here last year all know what last year felt like," McGlothan said. "Our main focus is, no matter what the coaches are doing with their jobs, we are the ones who play. We have to take accountability of this team if we want to have success."

For the second consecutive year, the Lopes will receive an immediate test against a tournament qualifier. This time, it is Southeast Missouri, which has risent from 11 wins to 14 wins to 19 wins under former Kansas State assistant coach Brad Korn.

Similar to GCU's WAC Tournament run, Southeast Missouri won four games in four days to punch its first Big Dance ticket in 23 years. Redhawks starting guards Aquan Smart and Dylan Branson return from that team, but Branson is out for the opener with a foot injury.

The Redhawks will make the 1,500-mile trek from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to face a GCU team that felt like it exhpurged the nerves of playing before a sold-out GCU Arena by having Wednesday's capacity-crowd exhibition game.

Harrison and McGlothan were joined in Wednesday's starting lineup by junior guard Collin Moore (Georgia State transfer who tallied eight assists), senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster (DePaul transfer who scored 23 points) and sophomore center Duke Brennan (Arizona State transfer who grabbed nine rebounds).

Moore was his last team's leading scorer last season. Grant-Foster was pegged to be his team's best player before a medical issue in 2021. Brennan was a rotation regular as an ASU freshman last season. And that's before a GCU bench comes with senior center Sydney Curry, who started at Louisville, and graduate forward Lok Wur, who started at Oregon.

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 1, , 2023: GCU beats Embry-Riddle 104-46 during their exhibition game GCU Arena. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 1, , 2023: GCU beats Embry-Riddle 104-46 during their exhibition game GCU Arena. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

"Sometimes, when you bring younger kids in or freshmen, they really haven't had setbacks," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "They haven't had failures. They haven't had disappointments. They've been told their whole life how great they are, and then they get to college and, all of a sudden, reality sinks in.

"Having veteran guys who transferred from other places, they have gone through that cycle and now they're back out of it. They're really appreciative of GCU. They're thankful for the opportunity they have here. And they really want to win."

Harrison said he is enjoying the atmosphere more than when the self-induced pressure and uncertainty affected his start to last season.

"This is the first time I can say that I feel like I'm ready for my season," said Harrison, who has been his team's leading scorer for three consecutive seasons (17.1 and 17.3 points-per-game averages at Presbyterian and 17.8 at GCU). "Every other year, I've been anxious and nervous and in my head. I really know and believe who I am now, so I'm ready to play.

"Just knowing that this group of guys looks up to me and admires how I carry myself, it boosts my confidence and my willingness to help and lead."

When McGlothan emerged for the exhibition game, he saw a Havocs sign that read, "Happy last first home game, Gabe," and it reminded him how much fans care for him after four years in the program.

The graduate student is having a unique start to the season with his younger brother as a team manager and his former school, Southeast Missouri, as an opener. His play took an upturn there when he became a late-season starter at the end of 2018-19, but there are no connections left on the Redhawks except for their athletic trainer.

"There are so many different dots connecting for my last year," McGlothan said. "If this is how it's starting, then I wonder how God's going to end it. I'm just grateful and blessed for it."