Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 , Loss , 74, to, 79
M Basketball
at Baylor
L 74-79
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, November 7
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Youngstown State
Photo by: Jayden Todd
Shaw, Williams help lift newcomers entering Friday game
11/6/2025 5:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes' lone rotation returnees aim to keep impact vs. Youngstown State
So much of the promise held for Grand Canyon men's basketball team has been tied to the newcomer group of established transfers and the high-potential freshman, Turkish center Efe Demirel.
But the Lopes' successful past and present is tied to the returning junior guard duo of Caleb Shaw and Makaih Williams, who were key parts of last season's NCAA Tournament run and this season's opening win Monday night.
As the new-look Lopes navigate Friday night's home game against Youngstown State, Shaw and Williams form the roster bridge from one GCU era to another.
"It's been really easy because everyone's so willing," Shaw said. "They just want to win. When everyone's goal is the same, it makes it easy to adjust to a new team. As far as me and Kaih (Makaih Williams) go, we've just been trying to be leaders and to be vocal to help people get up to speed."
The Lopes operated on fast-forward in a 90-71 win against Purdue Fort Wayne with the Lopes blowing the game open after Shaw, Williams and benchmates Wilhelm Breidenbach and Kaleb Smith entered for the first time.
Williams hit his first two 3-point shots, and Shaw scored eight points in a two-minutes span as the Lopes built a 35-13 lead.
"I've been playing with Caleb for a year now, and we're always on the same team in practices so we have a great chemistry," Williams said.
Their athleticism mixes with Williams' speed and Shaw's aggression to be a shift into fifth gear when they come off the bench.
They were significant parts of last season's NCAA Tournament qualifier with Williams averaging 8.2 points in 24.4 minutes per game and Shaw averaging 6.1 points in 16.9 minutes per game.
In the opener, they paired for 18 points in 26 combined minutes.
"We pride ourselves on trying to raise the energy and raise the intensity when we come in," Shaw said. "We're very vocal. I think that's what helps us a lot to be on the same page, making rotations on defense and moving the ball on offense."
Shaw recalls airballing a free throw in an exhibition game when he first played in front of the raucous GCU environment. He could understand the nerves that the newcomers showed in last week's exhibition against USC.
GCU's all-new starting lineup looked like it had freed the butterflies Monday night, when guard Jaden Henley and power forward Nana Owusu-Anane each scored a team-high 17 points and Demirel delivered an 11-point, five-rebound second half.
"These new guys kind of brought the culture with them and refined it to make it our own culture," Williams said. "It has made it easy."
The Penguins slide into Phoenix after a 74-59 loss at Pittsburgh to open the season Monday night. Youngstown State trailed the ACC opponent by four midway through the second half but was outscored 22-5 on free throws in the game and allowed 17 offensive rebounds.
"It's going to be much the same Friday night with the size and physicality that Grand Canyon has," second-year Youngstown State head coach Ethan Faulkner said at his Wednesday press conference.
The Penguins are missing a key piece with an injury to versatile, sixth-year forward Vlad Salaridze, who is expected to be out again Friday night with Faulkner saying he will be re-evaluated Monday.
Youngstown State returns 5-foot-10 graduate guard Jason Nelson (15 points vs. Pitt) and 6-6 senior forward Cris Carroll (18 points vs. Pitt). About 46% of the Penguins' shots last season were 3-pointers, and they increased that frequency Monday night with 33 of 56 shots coming from 3-point range at Pitt.
Faulkner, who elevated to head coach when Jerrod Calhoun left for Utah State last year, called GCU a Mountain West title contender and "a high-major team in terms of their size, length and athleticism."
"It's going to probably be the best atmosphere that any of these guys have ever played in," Faulkner said of Global Credit Union Arena. "I had a chance to speak with Coach (Jon) Coffman from Fort Wayne, who just played there, and he said you can't hear anything."
But the Lopes' successful past and present is tied to the returning junior guard duo of Caleb Shaw and Makaih Williams, who were key parts of last season's NCAA Tournament run and this season's opening win Monday night.
As the new-look Lopes navigate Friday night's home game against Youngstown State, Shaw and Williams form the roster bridge from one GCU era to another.
"It's been really easy because everyone's so willing," Shaw said. "They just want to win. When everyone's goal is the same, it makes it easy to adjust to a new team. As far as me and Kaih (Makaih Williams) go, we've just been trying to be leaders and to be vocal to help people get up to speed."The Lopes operated on fast-forward in a 90-71 win against Purdue Fort Wayne with the Lopes blowing the game open after Shaw, Williams and benchmates Wilhelm Breidenbach and Kaleb Smith entered for the first time.
Williams hit his first two 3-point shots, and Shaw scored eight points in a two-minutes span as the Lopes built a 35-13 lead.
"I've been playing with Caleb for a year now, and we're always on the same team in practices so we have a great chemistry," Williams said.Their athleticism mixes with Williams' speed and Shaw's aggression to be a shift into fifth gear when they come off the bench.
They were significant parts of last season's NCAA Tournament qualifier with Williams averaging 8.2 points in 24.4 minutes per game and Shaw averaging 6.1 points in 16.9 minutes per game.
In the opener, they paired for 18 points in 26 combined minutes.
"We pride ourselves on trying to raise the energy and raise the intensity when we come in," Shaw said. "We're very vocal. I think that's what helps us a lot to be on the same page, making rotations on defense and moving the ball on offense."
Shaw recalls airballing a free throw in an exhibition game when he first played in front of the raucous GCU environment. He could understand the nerves that the newcomers showed in last week's exhibition against USC.
GCU's all-new starting lineup looked like it had freed the butterflies Monday night, when guard Jaden Henley and power forward Nana Owusu-Anane each scored a team-high 17 points and Demirel delivered an 11-point, five-rebound second half.
"These new guys kind of brought the culture with them and refined it to make it our own culture," Williams said. "It has made it easy."
Scouting Youngstown State
GCU is facing a Horizon League opponent for the second consecutive game, but Youngstown State was ranked higher in the conference's preseason poll at No. 3 with three first-place votes.The Penguins slide into Phoenix after a 74-59 loss at Pittsburgh to open the season Monday night. Youngstown State trailed the ACC opponent by four midway through the second half but was outscored 22-5 on free throws in the game and allowed 17 offensive rebounds.
"It's going to be much the same Friday night with the size and physicality that Grand Canyon has," second-year Youngstown State head coach Ethan Faulkner said at his Wednesday press conference.
The Penguins are missing a key piece with an injury to versatile, sixth-year forward Vlad Salaridze, who is expected to be out again Friday night with Faulkner saying he will be re-evaluated Monday.
Youngstown State returns 5-foot-10 graduate guard Jason Nelson (15 points vs. Pitt) and 6-6 senior forward Cris Carroll (18 points vs. Pitt). About 46% of the Penguins' shots last season were 3-pointers, and they increased that frequency Monday night with 33 of 56 shots coming from 3-point range at Pitt.
Faulkner, who elevated to head coach when Jerrod Calhoun left for Utah State last year, called GCU a Mountain West title contender and "a high-major team in terms of their size, length and athleticism."
"It's going to probably be the best atmosphere that any of these guys have ever played in," Faulkner said of Global Credit Union Arena. "I had a chance to speak with Coach (Jon) Coffman from Fort Wayne, who just played there, and he said you can't hear anything."
Lope tracks
- The Lopes are 33-1 at home over the past three seasons.
- This will be the first-ever meeting between GCU and Youngstown State.
- Youngstown State junior guard Andrew King is making a Phoenix return. In high school, King played at Desert Vista and Bella Vista Prep.
- GCU has won the first two games in each of the first five seasons under Drew.
- Carroll was selected to the Preseason All-Horizon first team after averaging 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds for Youngstown State last season.
- The Penguins made offseason roster additions from Division I, Division II, NAIA and junior college.
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