Restored defense looks for carryover vs. Stetson

Grand Canyon ventured to a different valley last week on a search mission.

The Lopes have been on the hunt for the defense that built the program's Bryce Drew era success, and they returned from the Coachella Valley with its old friend on the bus back to Phoenix.

GCU aims to keep stringing together the sting of stingy defensive performances when it faces Stetson on Tuesday night at Global Credit Union Arena.

Stromer and Henley

In an Acrisure Classic split against Utah and Iowa, the Lopes held opponents to fewer than 60 points in consecutive games for the first time since March 2024. That looked more like the defense-based program that earned the fifth-lowest opponent field goal percentage in the nation over Drew's first five GCU seasons.

The Utes (6-2) and the Hawkeyes (7-0) were each held 28 points below their scoring averages and shot 40.8% cumulatively from the field against the Lopes. Utah followed that up by shooting 47.2% to beat Ole Miss, and Iowa is one spot out of the AP Top 25.

"I thought we really defended well in Palm Desert," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "We held a Big 12 team to 40% and held a Big Ten basically under 35% until the last few possessions and then at 40%. I really liked how hard our guys played. They executed and played together. Hopefully, we can bring that back home."

The Lopes also were sharp with their top assignments on the scouting reports.

Utah guard Terrence Brown was averaging 25.2 points per game before going 3 for 11 from the field for nine points against GCU.

Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, a projected NBA first-round draft pick, had been shooting 54% from the field before a 5-for-15 shooting game for 13 points, 6.5 below his average, against the Lopes.

"Just making it as hard as possible on him, just speeding him up a lot was a big part of the game," GCU junior guard Stromer said of his time on Stirtz. "Just following him around everywhere. It was like chasing around Steph Curry."

The Lopes' next opposing leader scorer will be Stetson sophomore guard Jamie Phillips Jr., a unique 6-foot-5, 245-pound guard. Phillips is averaging 15.6 points per game and has dished out four assists in each of the past two games.

"The guys were really locked in to how good those players were last week, and it wasn't just one guy that stopped them," Drew said. "It was multiple guys helping out and making driving lanes not as big. It was nice to see the guys take a lot of our drills and carry them over into the game."

What the defense still has lacked is the type of defense that creates transition opportunities to ease the offensive burden of constantly facing loaded five-man resistance.

GCU is averaging 5.9 steals per game and 3.1 blocks per game after averaging more than eight steals and five blocks in each of the past two seasons. Last season's Lopes averaged 9.2 steals.

GCU did not have a fastbreak point in Wednesday's loss to Iowa.

"Getting deflections and steals help your transition," Drew said. "The first step is schematically being in the position we're supposed to have. Then, the next step is hoping adding deflections and more steals.

"Dennis (Evans) and Efe (Demirel) are freshman bigs. Hopefully, those guys will get better. I thought Efe protected the rim much better this past week than he has all year."

GCU graduate power forward Nana Owusu-Anane was hampered by an ankle injury in the Iowa game. After averaging 10.6 rebounds and shooting 52% in the first six games, he grabbed six boards and went 0 for 8 from the field against Iowa.

"Nana was definitely in pain, so credit to him for playing and not complaining," Drew said. "But all of his shots were short. He didn't have any explosiveness to go to the glass and rebound."

GCU looks to build momentum for a week that ends with the Jerry Colangelo Classic, a Saturday game against undefeated Oklahoma State at Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix.

"We're focused on this game, and we want to show we're still improving and that we got better from last week and our practices," Drew said. "Every game is big. This game is big so that we can catch a rhythm and see more of our identity as a unit."

Lope tracks

Stetson (3-6) enters GCU on a three-game losing streak and is 0-4 away from DeLand, Florida.
Phillips and junior guard Ethan Copeland (12.4 points per game) are the only Hatters to start every game. Stetson scored two bench points in its Sunday loss to Robert Morris, the second of back-to-back games in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
Stetson fouls at the 13th-lowest rate in the nation with 13.7 fouls per game.
The Hatters made a program-record 21 3-pointers in a Nov. 22 win against Virginia Military Institute.
Stetson assistant coach Joey Gruden comes from a football coaching family, as the son of Jay Gruden and nephew of Jon Gruden.
GCU debuted at No. 163 in NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings after starting at No. 130 last season. The Lopes have big improvement opportunities ahead Saturday against Oklahoma State (No. 53) and Dec. ?? at Wyoming (No. 59).

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Players Mentioned

Nana Owusu-Anane

Grand Canyon University Athletics