Familiar GCU defense unfolds with Tarleton State next

Saturday, January 18 \| 6 p.m. \| Global Credit Union Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	TARLETON STATE TEXANS (8-11, 3-1 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (12-5, 2-1 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| LISTEN: 1580 The Fanatic \| STATS: View

For those looking for Grand Canyon carryover from last season's 30-5 team, it is revealing itself in the most constant era of the program's Bryce Drew era.

Defense defined the program breakthrough for three NCAA tournament visits in four years, and the Lopes defense is rearing its pesky denials once again.

Defense vs. Southern Utah

GCU enters a 6 p.m. Saturday home game against Tarleton State with a seven-game stretch of allowing 37% opponent shooting. Since a Dec. 16 loss at Louisiana Tech in which it allowed 52% shooting, the Lopes have risen from No. 259 to No. 81 nationally for opponent field goal percentage this season – 41.4%.

That is creeping closer to the cumulative 39.6% cumulative clip allowed over the previous four Drew-led seasons, when GCU ranked second, fifth, 14th and 38th nationally for opponent shooting.

In Thursday night's win against Abilene Christian, the Lopes did not allow a field goal for 10 consecutive minutes early in the first half. GCU never relented in an 88-58 win.

"I loved our activity," Drew said. "I thought we were really active on the ball. We were active off the ball. And then, most importantly, we were active around the rim when they were going up to finish or make passes, closing the paint."

With nine blocked shots and 14 steals, GCU posted its highest combination of blocks and steals against a Division I opponent in the Lopes' 12-year D-I era.

GCU's best three shot-blocking games of the season have been in the past three games, when the Lopes are averaging eight per game. Graduate forward Lök Wur broke out his post-swat finger wag often Thursday night, accounting for four of GCU's nine blocked shots.

"It's been a mentality switch," Wur said of the Lopes' defense. "At this time of year, the defense is getting better. We know when to help our next man. Knowing our scouting reports is getting way better.

"Rotations are big. The timing is getting better as the year goes on. We have to keep building on what we established at the beginning of the year. This past week, we've instilled a lot on defense. Continuing to clean up the details is going to be very important for this next stretch."

The Lopes have recorded double-digit steal totals in four consecutive games, also a first in the program's 12 D-I seasons. With length and speed to cover Defense

passing lanes and blitz ball-handlers, GCU ranks sixth in the nation for steals per game at 10.4. Graduate swingman Tyon Grant-Foster leads that GCU effort with 2.1 steals per game, followed by senior teammates Collin Moore (1.8) and Ray Harrison (1.5) and Wur (1.4).

"We some dawgs, and we play hard," Lopes guard Makaih Williams said after trying his career high with five steals on Thursday night, when he started in place of Grant-Foster.

That activity could take advantage of Tarleton State's propensity for turnovers. The Texans turn the ball over on a nation-high 26% of possessions.

The Lopes' defensive discipline will be tested against a Tarleton State team that averages 20 seconds per possession, the eighth-longest timespan on kenpom.com.

The Texans also average the 12th-most opponent turnovers per game (16.8) and are coming off Thursday's 67-57 home win against California Baptist. After a 3-10 start against the 29th-strongest nonconference schedule in the nation, Tarleton State has won five of its past six games and brought back personnel, including senior Freddy Hicks after a foot injury sidelined him for the first 18 games.

Hicks scored 15 points (nine on free throws) off the bench in 19 minutes of action. The 6-foot-5 swingman returned for his fourth Tarleton State this season after transferring for one year to Arkansas State, where he averaged 11.8 points last season. Texans coach Billy Gillispie also missed last season, when he did not coach the WAC runner-up's games because of a health issue.

"He (Hicks) is everything to us," Gillispie said on Thursday's postgame show. "He's the strongest guy. He's the toughest guy. He's the happiest guy. He's the best leader. He's a very good offensive player. He's a very good defensive player. Freddy was rusty. He hadn't play in a long time. That wasn't as good as we'll see Freddy, but man alive, he sure does make a difference when he's out there."

GCU and Tarleton State split last season with the home teams holding court. In the last meeting, the Texans won 77-74 in Stephenville, Texas, in front of a sold-out crowd.

"We'll definitely have to attack the rim, and we'll have to be really spectacular defensively and in transition," Gillispie said of Saturday night's matchup. "They (the Lopes) are really fast. They've got by far the best five starters in the league."

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : Tarleton beats GCU 77-74 at Wisdom Gymnasium in Stephenville, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Saturday, January 18 | 6 p.m. | Global Credit Union Arena | Phoenix, Ariz.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tyon Grant-Foster

Ray Harrison

Collin Moore

Makaih Williams

Lök Wur

Grand Canyon University Athletics