Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Work begins to build on 2 tourney trips in 3 years
3/22/2023 3:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes can return all starters in addition to bringing back Blacksher, adding transfers
What has taken 10 years of Division I play to build, three years of Bryce Drew's leadership to enhance and a marvelous March to assert is only a start for Grand Canyon basketball.
The Lopes' trek from a preseason WAC favorite to a postseason conference champion was not a direct line. GCU navigated bumps and turns before hitting another gear to open March with six consecutive wins and deliver the program's second NCAA tournament trip in Drew's three seasons.
But the Lopes' hopes are that the breakthroughs are only the foundation, one looks strong with five starters who could return along with Jovan Blacksher Jr., the point guard who started his first 97 games at GCU before a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 5.
"We need to be able to build a very deep roster of experience, so that players are ready to step in and be successful right away," Drew said. "With the portal and the COVID waiver that gave players another year, there should be a lot of older players available who can fill that for us."
Three days before the Lopes' season ended with an 84-72 loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament's first round, the GCU staff already was making calls with next season's roster in mind because the transfer portal had opened.
That only increases the workload for the GCU staff until the May 11 closing of the portal, which allows college players to explore transfer possibilities. First-time transfers are eligible to play immediately at a new program.
"This is the busiest time of the year for college basketball coaches," Drew said. "One thing we've learned as you watch teams throughout the season: when you're older and experienced, that really pays off. And you have to be deep also."
GCU is in a different position with potential transfers, coming off two NCAA tourney trips in three years and the program's second-most wins in a season (24) since 1990-91. Drew is 7-1 in WAC Tournament games and has taken three college programs on five NCAA tourney trips since 2013.
This year's Big Dance left the Lopes feeling different than when they made their first visit in 2021. GCU competed in the first-round game with No. 9 Gonzaga, leading most of the first half, and can return every starter and Blacksher.
"One of the things in talking to recruits is they want to play in the NCAA tournament, so now we don't just say, 'Hey, that's what we want to do,' " Drew said. "We can say, 'We've gone there two of the last three years. Now you can come help us continue this.' "
The Lopes made the season memorable with their March run and succeeded in other ways than 2021, when center Asbjorn Midtgaard led the nation in field goal percentage and power forward Alessandro Lever finished four years of starting.
GCU obliterated an all-time record for made 3-pointers with 323, topping the 2005-06 mark of 286, and did so efficiently. The Lopes' 38.3% 3-point shooting ranked 14th in the nation, while GCU maintained a highly rated defense with its opponent field goal percentage (40.9%) at No. 37 nationally.
"It's a big thing knowing that you're part of Grand Canyon, an up-and-coming basketball program, being able to be a part of that," said power forward Gabe McGlothan, who has one season remaining to build on this season's All-WAC second-team honors. "Knowing that Coach Drew really respects you as a player, but then also you as a man and wants to grow you both ways, you can definitely get behind that and have the highest and utmost respect for him and what this program means."
Drew likens the program's steps to how Valparaiso grew during his playing career with his father, Homer, coaching.
In Drew's sophomore season, Valparaiso qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time and was routed 90-51 by Arizona in the first round. The team returned a year later and was tied with Boston College with four minutes remaining before losing. In Drew's senior year, Valparaiso pulled off the upset of Ole Miss – this month marks the 25th anniversary of "The Shot" by Drew – and advanced to the Sweet 16 by also upsetting Florida State.
"The experience gained being in the tournament, playing on that stage in front of a sold-out crowd on national television, you don't know what you don't know," Drew said. "Now these players all know what it's like to play on that stage. We can tell them about it and show them videos, but after you get a taste of it, I think it does make you hungry to want it more and more.
"Getting a taste of that is the best thing for these players. Now they know how hard they have to work. They know hard work pays off. And they know what they need to do to get us to that next level."
With the importance of a player-galvanizing, late-season meeting, the Lopes also realize the importance of building the program's culture and connections. In the postgame locker room of GCU's NCAA tournament loss, Drew said he saw the most heartfelt hugs and emotions being shared among players and staffers that he had ever witnessed with a team.
"The family environment is just different here," All-WAC first-teamer Ray Harrison said of his first GCU season.
The Lopes' trek from a preseason WAC favorite to a postseason conference champion was not a direct line. GCU navigated bumps and turns before hitting another gear to open March with six consecutive wins and deliver the program's second NCAA tournament trip in Drew's three seasons.But the Lopes' hopes are that the breakthroughs are only the foundation, one looks strong with five starters who could return along with Jovan Blacksher Jr., the point guard who started his first 97 games at GCU before a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 5.
"We need to be able to build a very deep roster of experience, so that players are ready to step in and be successful right away," Drew said. "With the portal and the COVID waiver that gave players another year, there should be a lot of older players available who can fill that for us."
Three days before the Lopes' season ended with an 84-72 loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament's first round, the GCU staff already was making calls with next season's roster in mind because the transfer portal had opened.
That only increases the workload for the GCU staff until the May 11 closing of the portal, which allows college players to explore transfer possibilities. First-time transfers are eligible to play immediately at a new program.
"This is the busiest time of the year for college basketball coaches," Drew said. "One thing we've learned as you watch teams throughout the season: when you're older and experienced, that really pays off. And you have to be deep also."
GCU is in a different position with potential transfers, coming off two NCAA tourney trips in three years and the program's second-most wins in a season (24) since 1990-91. Drew is 7-1 in WAC Tournament games and has taken three college programs on five NCAA tourney trips since 2013.
This year's Big Dance left the Lopes feeling different than when they made their first visit in 2021. GCU competed in the first-round game with No. 9 Gonzaga, leading most of the first half, and can return every starter and Blacksher.
"One of the things in talking to recruits is they want to play in the NCAA tournament, so now we don't just say, 'Hey, that's what we want to do,' " Drew said. "We can say, 'We've gone there two of the last three years. Now you can come help us continue this.' "
The Lopes made the season memorable with their March run and succeeded in other ways than 2021, when center Asbjorn Midtgaard led the nation in field goal percentage and power forward Alessandro Lever finished four years of starting.
GCU obliterated an all-time record for made 3-pointers with 323, topping the 2005-06 mark of 286, and did so efficiently. The Lopes' 38.3% 3-point shooting ranked 14th in the nation, while GCU maintained a highly rated defense with its opponent field goal percentage (40.9%) at No. 37 nationally."It's a big thing knowing that you're part of Grand Canyon, an up-and-coming basketball program, being able to be a part of that," said power forward Gabe McGlothan, who has one season remaining to build on this season's All-WAC second-team honors. "Knowing that Coach Drew really respects you as a player, but then also you as a man and wants to grow you both ways, you can definitely get behind that and have the highest and utmost respect for him and what this program means."
Drew likens the program's steps to how Valparaiso grew during his playing career with his father, Homer, coaching.
In Drew's sophomore season, Valparaiso qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time and was routed 90-51 by Arizona in the first round. The team returned a year later and was tied with Boston College with four minutes remaining before losing. In Drew's senior year, Valparaiso pulled off the upset of Ole Miss – this month marks the 25th anniversary of "The Shot" by Drew – and advanced to the Sweet 16 by also upsetting Florida State.
"The experience gained being in the tournament, playing on that stage in front of a sold-out crowd on national television, you don't know what you don't know," Drew said. "Now these players all know what it's like to play on that stage. We can tell them about it and show them videos, but after you get a taste of it, I think it does make you hungry to want it more and more.
"Getting a taste of that is the best thing for these players. Now they know how hard they have to work. They know hard work pays off. And they know what they need to do to get us to that next level."
With the importance of a player-galvanizing, late-season meeting, the Lopes also realize the importance of building the program's culture and connections. In the postgame locker room of GCU's NCAA tournament loss, Drew said he saw the most heartfelt hugs and emotions being shared among players and staffers that he had ever witnessed with a team.
"The family environment is just different here," All-WAC first-teamer Ray Harrison said of his first GCU season.
Players Mentioned
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