Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus USC on October 25, 2025 , Loss , 61, to, 67
M Basketball
vs USC
L 61-67
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Jayden Todd
Pregame prayer turns to postgame boost
11/13/2025 11:19:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU notebook also reflects on positive debuts of Boisdur, Evans
Davis Ketchum gave a memorable lift to the Global Credit Union Arena crowd with his pregame prayer Friday night, but he did not stop there.
After the Lopes' tough loss, he provided another lift.
Ketchum, a neurodivergent learner in the L.O.P.E.S. Academy at the Cardon Center on GCU's campus, sent a postgame message of encouragement to Lopes junior guard Caleb Shaw, who he had met previously.
In August, Ketchum introduced himself to Shaw at arena restaurant Havoc House before the Lope-A-Palooza event that launched the GCU Athletics year.
"He DM'd and said he's proud of the team and that he's rooting for us," Shaw said of the message that landed after a 90-81 loss to Youngstown State. "He was checking in, that sort of thing. It was all encouragement, like, 'Keep your head up, I'm rocking with your no matter what.'
"It's just cool. I was super upset about the game. That made me smile, for sure."
Three days later, GCU blew out Northern Illinois 88-59 with Shaw scoring 12 points in 18 minutes.
Ketchum is in his second year of L.O.P.E.S. Academy, a two-year, non-degree program that neurodivergent learners attend 10 hours per week with element of campus life – courses, chapel and internships. Ketchum, a Havocs regular at games, will work this spring with GCU game entertainment and the Lope Shop.
Ketchum closed his Friday night prayer in front of 7,142 fans, saying, "And God, I am so thankful to be a part of GCU, and I hope I will continue to keep attending all the basketball games. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!"
The 6-foot-1 Frenchman, via the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, aims to be the defensive player on the court and made steals on his first two defensive possessions. After the second one, he set up Shaw for a transition trailing 3-pointer. It was part of GCU's first burst of the game, a 10-0 run that put the Lopes ahead 18-9.
Boisdur finished with three points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds in 16 minutes. Like Turkish freshman center Efe Demirel, Boisdur was a later offseason arrival because he was playing for France's under-21 team in the European Championships.
"I really wanted to be aggressive and a good edge for the team," Boisdur said. "I was just trying to do the little things that make the team better. I wasn't really thinking about myself.
"I wasn't that comfortable because it was my first real first game in front of a crowd. I really like everything here. I've got good teammates. The people on campus are gentle. The fans are crazy."
On Evans' first possession, Boisdur drove and drew traffic to drop off a dime for an Evans slam. His benchmates were still standing when he followed the dunk up by blocking a Northern Illinois shot in the lane.
He switched the order with another blocked shot later that led to him getting an alleyoop dunk from senior guard Jaden Henley's lob. It was a positive flip from his previous home appearance in the exhibition game against USC.
"The first time, I feel like I was mainly overthinking it and I didn't feel too comfortable out there," said Evans, a Riverside, California, native who transferred from Louisville in 2024. "This time around, I just let the game come to me. I didn't think about too much and just played hard."
To get an idea of his size presence, an Evans cardboard cutout stands in the arena lobby next to a growth chart. He enjoys being "annoying" around the rim and friendly with the crowd.
"It's been a while since I heard fans yell for me like that, and it was really crazy to hear," said Evans, who last played a regular-season game on Nov. 6, 2023, for Louisville before a health issue.
After the Lopes' tough loss, he provided another lift.
Ketchum, a neurodivergent learner in the L.O.P.E.S. Academy at the Cardon Center on GCU's campus, sent a postgame message of encouragement to Lopes junior guard Caleb Shaw, who he had met previously.
In August, Ketchum introduced himself to Shaw at arena restaurant Havoc House before the Lope-A-Palooza event that launched the GCU Athletics year.
"He DM'd and said he's proud of the team and that he's rooting for us," Shaw said of the message that landed after a 90-81 loss to Youngstown State. "He was checking in, that sort of thing. It was all encouragement, like, 'Keep your head up, I'm rocking with your no matter what.'"It's just cool. I was super upset about the game. That made me smile, for sure."
Three days later, GCU blew out Northern Illinois 88-59 with Shaw scoring 12 points in 18 minutes.
Ketchum is in his second year of L.O.P.E.S. Academy, a two-year, non-degree program that neurodivergent learners attend 10 hours per week with element of campus life – courses, chapel and internships. Ketchum, a Havocs regular at games, will work this spring with GCU game entertainment and the Lope Shop.
Ketchum closed his Friday night prayer in front of 7,142 fans, saying, "And God, I am so thankful to be a part of GCU, and I hope I will continue to keep attending all the basketball games. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!"
Bonjour Boisdur
With injured Brian Moore Jr. sitting out Monday's win, freshman point guard Evan Boisdur made his GCU debut and introduced his game in a hurry.The 6-foot-1 Frenchman, via the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, aims to be the defensive player on the court and made steals on his first two defensive possessions. After the second one, he set up Shaw for a transition trailing 3-pointer. It was part of GCU's first burst of the game, a 10-0 run that put the Lopes ahead 18-9.Boisdur finished with three points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds in 16 minutes. Like Turkish freshman center Efe Demirel, Boisdur was a later offseason arrival because he was playing for France's under-21 team in the European Championships.
"I really wanted to be aggressive and a good edge for the team," Boisdur said. "I was just trying to do the little things that make the team better. I wasn't really thinking about myself.
"I wasn't that comfortable because it was my first real first game in front of a crowd. I really like everything here. I've got good teammates. The people on campus are gentle. The fans are crazy."
Oh heavens, Evans
At 7 feet 2 with goggles, Dennis Evans became a Havocs favorite while being on the bench for his redshirt season last year. But when he plays end-to-end stretches like Monday night, he is earning his fandom.On Evans' first possession, Boisdur drove and drew traffic to drop off a dime for an Evans slam. His benchmates were still standing when he followed the dunk up by blocking a Northern Illinois shot in the lane.He switched the order with another blocked shot later that led to him getting an alleyoop dunk from senior guard Jaden Henley's lob. It was a positive flip from his previous home appearance in the exhibition game against USC.
"The first time, I feel like I was mainly overthinking it and I didn't feel too comfortable out there," said Evans, a Riverside, California, native who transferred from Louisville in 2024. "This time around, I just let the game come to me. I didn't think about too much and just played hard."
To get an idea of his size presence, an Evans cardboard cutout stands in the arena lobby next to a growth chart. He enjoys being "annoying" around the rim and friendly with the crowd.
"It's been a while since I heard fans yell for me like that, and it was really crazy to hear," said Evans, who last played a regular-season game on Nov. 6, 2023, for Louisville before a health issue.
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