Lopes chase shining moment vs. Zags

Friday, March 17

Denver, Colo. / Ball Arena

4:35 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

Gonzaga

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Denver, CO March 16: GCU takes part in a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

3/17/2023 5:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

No. 14 seed GCU looks to extend its March Madness vs. No. 3 seed Gonzaga

By: Paul Coro

NCAA tournament first round Firdya, March 17 \| 4:35 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Ball Arena \| Denver, Colo.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (24-11)	vs.	GONZAGA BULLDOGS (29-5)

WATCH: truTV, NCAA.com \| LISTEN: 1580 The Fanatic \| STATS: View

DENVER – If Grand Canyon tried to bottle up the momentum of a six-win, 11-day span, the potion might evaporate by the time the Lopes take the Ball Arena court Friday with a six-day gap between the WAC Tournament championship and their NCAA tournament first-round game.

Denver, CO March 16: GCU takes part in a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

But GCU's confidence is still bubbling that its best basketball can percolate for its best opponent.

The Lopes return to one of sports' greatest stages, the NCAA tournament, for their second time in three seasons against a premier model for a mid-major program. No. 14 seed GCU (24-11) shares the Big Dance floor with No 3 seed Gonzaga (28-5) for a Friday first-round game at 4:35 p.m. (Phoenix time) on truTV.

If there was ever a Cinderella story, it would be for a GCU team that had its shoe left behind when it left for the Big Dance.

"We've been built into a resilient team, so we're going to play our basketball, resilient basketball, and leave it all out there," said Lopes junior power forward Gabe McGlothan, who is the only GCU player besides sophomore guard Chance McMillian to play in both games.

Gonzaga, ranked No. 9 in the polls, has the No. 1 offense in the nation for scoring and shooting but the Lopes, considered 15 1/2-point underdogs, come in with gaudier March numbers and just beat teams that ranked in the national top five for offense (Southern Utah) and defense (Sam Houston) last week.

Denver, CO March 16: GCU takes part in a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

During their 6-0 version of March Madness, third-year head coach Bryce Drew's Lopes are shooting 52.5% from the field. They went 29 for 50 (58%) on 3-pointers in their last two WAC Tournament games to lift their national 3-point shooting rank to No. 14 at 38.3%.

"Just scary, really scary," said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who has led the Zags to 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. "I watched them the other day. I watched them make 10 3s in a half. In a half. There's probably three-quarters of the teams in college basketball that don't make 10 in a game. I would guess probably more than that.

"So just amazing. They're on an incredible run right now. They're seeing a huge basket. Bryce does a great job. He mixes up his defenses. He's very creative on the offensive end. They're experienced."

The Lopes will search for the right mix of defensive looks to handle Gonzaga and three-time All-American Drew Timme, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound senior center, in the programs' first-ever meeting.

Timme has an elite low-post game with great touch around the rim but does not see many post defenders who are as strong and nimble as GCU junior center Yvan Ouedraogo, who is 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds.

Denver, CO March 16: GCU takes part in a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

"He has seen every type of defense and double team the last four years," Drew said. "He's obviously an extremely tough matchup. We're going to do the best that we can, but he's just a really good player. He has a great footwork and touch. We've got to keep him off the offensive glass. If he does score, we've got to make it tougher and not layups and beating us in transition."

In addition to Timme's 21.1 points per game on 62.4% shooting, GCU also has to tangle with a surging secondary scorer in junior guard Julian Strawther.

The athletic 6-foot-7 junior averaged 17.6 points in conference play as a fastbreak threat with a quick-release jumper that was good for 42.6% 3-point shooting this season. That skill combination often calls on the defense of GCU redshirt freshman Kobe Knox, who challenges jump shooters well and can be disruptive with his long, 6-foot-5 frame.

Denver, CO March 16: GCU takes part in a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

Gonzaga is having similar conversations about how to control Lopes sophomore guard Ray Harrison, especially after his 31-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist performance in the conference championship. Only Detroit's Antione Davis and Penn State's Jalen Pickett matched those statistics in a regulation game this season.

"He's kind of like the engine of their team," Gonzaga 6-foot-4 junior guard Malachi Smith said.

"Their team has had to fight their way to get to his moment, so they're going to come in ready to play."

For all of its offensive dominance, Gonzaga has not been a lockdown defensive team and are facing a GCU team that has shot at least 50% from the field in six consecutive wins. The Zags rank 216th nationally for allowing 44.4% opponent shooting and 239th for yielding 34.7% 3-point shooting on the season.

Denver, CO March 16: Grand Canyon guard Rayshon Harrison (0) is interviewed prior to a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

Denver, CO March 16: Grand Canyon guard Rayshon Harrison (0) is interviewed prior to a practice session Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena in Denver, Co. The team is preparing for their 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Gonzaga Friday night. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

"Our mentality is similar to the mentality we've had this entire year," Harrison said. "We know who they are, but we know who we are, as well. We're just excited.

"We trust each other, and we know we're going to all bring our best."

The Denver locale provided positive vibes for the Lopes, being the closest regional location for Lope Nation to travel, being the city where sharpshooter Walter Ellis' father, LaPhonso, starred in the NBA and putting Bryce Drew and his brother, Baylor head coach Scott Drew, in the same city for their parents.

It is the 25th anniversary of the NCAA tournament when Bryce Drew made "The Shot" for a No. 13 seed, Valparaiso, to beat a No. 4 seed, Mississippi, with Scott as an assistant coach and their father, Homer, as the head coach.

"I think they've been hearing about, watching and seeing Gonzaga over all these years, so obviously they are hungry to knock us off," Few said. "That's a dangerous combination."

Lope tracks

The truTV announcing crew will be Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Avery Johnson (analyst), Steve Smith (analyst) and Andy Katz (sideline).
GCU is 16-0 when scoring 78 or more points and is also 16-0 when shooting 48% or better.
The Lopes rank No. 25 nationally for opponent field goal percentage (40.5%).
GCU ranks No. 24 nationally for 3-point percentage (38.3%) and averages a WAC-best 9.0 made 3-pointers per game.
The Lopes are 13-1 when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game and 19-3 when making eight or more 3s.
Sophomore guard Ray Harrison has made 176 free throws this season, ranking eighth in the nation.
Harrison holds the GCU Division I-era record for single-season scoring with 620 points, which ranks 42nd nationally this season. He averaged a WAC-best 21.1 points in conference games.
Graduate forward Noah Baumann, the Phoenix Desert Vista High School graduate, ranks 15th nationally among active players for career 3-point shooting percentage at 42.6%. He is the only active Division I player besides Pacific's Luke Avdalovic to have at least 250 made 3s and 42% accuracy.
Sophomore guard Chance McMillian is averaging 13.1 points in his 20 starts since replacing Jovan Blacksher Jr., the WAC Preseason Player of the Year who underwent season-ending knee surgery in January.
Senior guard Walter Ellis is averaging 25.1 minutes in the past nine games. In the past two seasons combined, Ellis ranks seventh nationally for 3-point percentage (45.5%) for players with at least 100 attempts.
Junior power forward McGlothan, a Chandler Basha High School graduate, is averaging 18.0 points in the past 10 games with 61.1 % shooting from the field and 50% shooting from 3-point range. His 7.7 rebounding average ranks third in the WAC.
Harrison (38 points vs. Utah Tech), McGlothan (18 rebounds vs. Northern Iowa) and Blacksher (seven steals vs. Grambling) hold the WAC season highs for each category.