GCU's 13-win streak boosted by whole lot Moore

Thursday, Jan. 18 \| 7 p.m. \| Global Credit Union Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (8-9, 3-3 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (16-1, 6-0 WAC)

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Great teams are made up of players who are great at roles.

For Grand Canyon to get to the nation's best record (16-1) entering Thursday night's home game against Utah Valley, the Lopes rattled off 13 consecutive wins with more than just the leading scorer, leading rebounder, leading passer and weekly award winners.

Junior guard Collin Moore, a year after being Georgia State's leading scorer, has embraced his role as the Lopes' essential energy boost, particularly with GCU's penchant for comeback wins.

"As soon as I entered the transfer portal, I just told myself, 'Whatever it is, I just want to win, no matter if I'm not playing, if I have two points, four points,' " said Moore, whose Georgia State team went 10-21 last season despite his team-best 14.2 points per game. "It starts at the defensive end. We've got a lot of scorers. I just try to bring the energy at the defensive end. I think that's my most important role."

Phoenix, AZ jan. 11, 2024 GCU gets a 74-64 win over Abilene Christian at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Phoenix, AZ jan. 11, 2024 GCU gets a 74-64 win over Abilene Christian at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Moore is a menace to opposing ball-handlers, relentlessly badgering ball-handlers with a 6-foot-11 wingspan that belies his 6-foot-4 height. He averages a team-best 1.9 steals per game but causes innumerable disruptions and brings infectious energy.

The Havocs and GCU fans know Moore's game so well that he hears 'Lock it up, C-Mo!" from the crowd just as much as his bench.

"It's great to have," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "It's hard for one person to do it every day. It's nice to have multiple guys who can bring energy at certain points of the game. Collin is definitely one of those guys. He picks up the intensity on defense. He makes spectacular plays that get the crowd and the team fired up."

Targeting and recruiting Moore was also a testament to the GCU coaching staff, which has an every-game starting lineup that put three transfers with returning stars Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan.

Moore's other visits were Duquesne and Middle Tennessee, but he was drawn to playing with Harrison and McGlothan.

"We thought he would be a really good fit," Drew said. "He plays so hard and had been injured a lot, but it was more just how aggressive he is and that really helps our team."

Because of injuries, Moore only averaged 17.3 games per season in three years at Georgia State. Thursday will mark his 18th appearance in 18 games this season with an across-the-board impact of 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game (all top five on the team).

The North Little Rock, Arkansas, native is shooting 47% from the field and 34% on 3-pointers while improving a career free throw percentage of 69% to 82% this season. He has scored a season-high 15 points three times, including in the upset of then-No. 25 San Diego State, with his sneaky bursts to the rim. On Saturday, he recorded a career-best six-assist game with only one turnover against Tarleton State.

"I look for my teammates and try to get mind when I can," Moore said. "Everybody gets the victory if we win."

Rare air

GCU's Gabe McGlothan and Tyon Grant-Foster are doing things that few college basketball players do, and there is proof in their numbers.

McGlothan is one of five players in the nation who are averaging at least 14 points and eight rebounds while shooting at least 40% from 3-point range and 55% from the field. The other four are Jaedon LeDee of San Diego State, Hunter Dickinson of Kansas, Joel Soriano of St. John's and Kel'el Ware of Indiana.

"He just continues to play at such a high level," Drew said. "He's so valuable. It's hard to take him off the floor. He's doing so many things out there, you can't really pinpoint one thing."

Grant-Foster ranks 14th nationally in points per game (20.6) and is the only player in the nation to average at least 20 points, 1.5 blocked shots and 1.5 steals per game this season. He is the first Lopes player to have five consecutive WAC games of 20 or more points.

Lope tracks

GCU's 16-1 record is its best start to a season since 1995-96, when it went 19-1 in Division II play. The Lopes have matched their best home start (9-0) of their Division I era with the 2018-19 team.
GCU received 49 voting points in this week's AP Top 25 to be the fifth team outside the rankings. The Lopes are seven teams out in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Lopes junior guard Ray Harrison ranks eighth nationally for career scoring average (16.9) among active Division I players.
McGlothan ranks 14th among active Division I players for career rebounds (927).
GCU's 13 consecutive wins mark its longest in-season winning streak since taking 13 in a row during the 2012-13 season in Division II. A 14th consecutive victory would mark the Lopes' longest winning streak since 1978-79.
The Lopes rank in the national top 25 for field goal percentage (21st, 49.0%), blocks per game (14th, 5.6), free throws made per game (14th, 18.0) and rebound margin (22nd, plus-8.0 per game).
Lopes graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. needs three points to pass Jerome Garrison for ninth place on the GCU all-time scoring list.
Utah Valley gets 24% of its scoring on free throws, ranking 45th nationally with 22.7 free throw attempts per game.
The Wolverines average 4.4 made 3-pointers per game, the ninth-lowest average in the nation.
Trevin Dorius, a 7-foot graduate transfer from Utah State, averages 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for Utah Valley. He grabs 2.9 offensive boards per game.
Drake Allen, a 6-4 junior guard who transferred from Southern Utah, averages a team-high 12.0 points per game. After shooting 36% on 3-pointers last season, he is 6 for 36 (17%) on 3s as a Wolverine this season.
Former GCU assistant coach Louis Wilson is in his first season as an assistant coach for Utah Valley.

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Jan. 16)
Rank	Team	Record (WAC only)	WAC points
1.	GCU	16-1 (6-0)	5.35
2.	Tarleton State	10-6 (3-2)	0.39
3.	Stephen F. Austin	11-6 (4-2)	-0.18
4.	Seattle U	10-7 (3-3)	-0.64
5.	UT Arlington	8-9 (3-3)	-0.75
6.	Utah Valley	3-9 (3-3)	-1.30
7.	Utah Tech	7-9 (3-2)	-1.52
8.	California Baptist	10-7 (3-3)	-1.56
9.	Abilene Christian	6-10 (1-4)	-2.78
10.	Southern Utah	5-11 (0-5)	-4.23
11.	UT Rio Grande Valley	6-11 (2-4)	-4.27

The WAC Resume Seeding System will determine seeding for the eight-team WAC Tournament. The top two seeds will receive first- and second-round byes. The third and fourth seeds will receive first-round byes.

Thursday, Jan. 18 | 7 p.m. | Global Credit Union Arena | Phoenix, Ariz.

Rare air

Lope tracks

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Jan. 16)

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Players Mentioned

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Tyon Grant-Foster

Ray Harrison

Gabe McGlothan

Collin Moore

Grand Canyon University Athletics