Undefeated Billikens average 103 ppg with national POY candidate Avila
By: Paul Coro
ST. LOUIS – Unwelcoming and undefeated.
Hostile with style.
Before Grand Canyon gets to Mountain West play or sees other uniquely gifted teams with similar NCAA Tournament aspirations, the Lopes will get a feel for it all Saturday night at Saint Louis. Makaih Williams vs. SLU (2024)
GCU's only true nonconference game and longest trip of the season comes with the game at Saint Louis, an Atlantic 10 favorite that has won its first three games by an average of 30 points and boasts national player of the year candidate Robbie Avila.
The Lopes won the teams' meeting last year on a last-second Lök Wur shot, but the Billikens are healthier and deeper than then and are marking Saturday's GCU visit as their marquee nonconference event.
"We're expecting a sold-out crowd," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "It's a Quad 1 game right now. It's a really good team, and so it's really great for our team to see this in the nonconference to play in a big game."
Saint Louis is coming off its first consecutive 100-point games in program history, but the competition has been lesser with three home games against Southeast Missouri (KenPom No. 210), Chicago State (KenPom No. 362) and Lindenwood (KenPom No. 336). Saint Louis star Robbie Avila
The Billikens are shooting 55.6% from the field with 25 fastbreak points per game, not even needing to dip deep into Indiana State second-year coach Josh Schertz's wide-ranging offense. That arsenal has been strengthened by adding a pair of 1,000-point career scorers in Boston College transfer Dion Brown, a 6-foot-3 guard, and Quinnipiac transfer Paul Otieno, a 6-foot-9 power forward, to Avila.
"They run a lot of different things, and we know they have more stuff that they haven't shown," Drew said. "They got better at a lot of positions. They're really explosive offensively."
In their 109-66 Monday win against Lindenwood, the Billikens set Chaifetz Arena record with 66.7% shooting and 66 second-half points.
Saint Louis split the 22 first-place votes in the A-10 preseason poll with VCU, and Avila was voted the A-10 Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Billikens last season. He previously played in Schertz's system at Indiana State before they moved to Saint Louis in 2024.
"He's a really good playmaker, so it'll be a challenge," GCU graduate power forward Wilhelm Breidenbach said. "It's really helpful to see this early. It's always harder to play on the road, so it'll be good to get through it as a team. They're good. We just have to play within ourselves and play hard."
Billikens home attendance at Chaifetz Arena, which seats 10,600 fans, has dipped the past two seasons after drawing 7,056 fans in 2022-23. Since Schertz came from Indiana State and brought Avila with him, Saint Louis is 17-3 at home.
"We've got to continue to grow, and we will," Schertz said at a press conference this week. "I think we're all excited to crank this up and hopefully have a great crowd Saturday here at Chaifetz against Grand Canyon. It's going to be a bigtime atmosphere hopefully for a really good game in November."
Lope tracks
Drew said he is "hopeful" that graduate guard Brian Moore Jr. will play Saturday after missing Monday's win vs. Northern Illinois with a left wrist injury suffered when he lost two teeth in the Youngstown State game.
GCU graduate power forward Nana Owusu-Anane is the first player in Mountain West history to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the first three games of a season. He ranks 21st nationally in rebounds per game (10.7) and offensive rebounds per game (4.7).
Owusu-Anane and redshirting Saint Louis forward Kalu Anya were Brown teammates for the past two seasons, although Owusu-Anane could not play last season due to a shoulder injury. GCU assistant coach Matt Lottich also was a Brown assistant coach last season.
The last time Saint Louis recorded a top-20 attendance in program history was 2020, when it drew 10,007 vs. Dayton and 9,611 vs. Seton Hall.
Avila, nicknamed "Cream Abdul-Jabbar," is averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game with 60% shooting and 6-for-12 accuracy on 3-pointers
Avila ranks sixth among active Division I players for career points (1,584).
After scoring 23 against Lindenwood, 6-foot-6 sophomore guard Amari McCottry leads Saint Louis with 16.3 points per game.
With 18 years as a college head coach, Schertz ranks in the NCAA top 10 for winning percentage among active coaches at .774.
Wilhelm celebrates the putbackWilhelm celebrates the putback
Wednesday, November 12
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame with Caleb Shaw, Makaih WilliamsGCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame with Caleb Shaw, Makaih Williams
Tuesday, November 11
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame Radio with Bryce DrewGCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame Radio with Bryce Drew
Tuesday, November 11
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame with Bryce DrewGCU Men's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois - Postgame with Bryce Drew
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