Brennan rises to bring brawn to CBU

Saturday, Feb. 8 \| 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Fowler Events Center \| Riverside, Calif.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (17-5, 7-1 WAC)	at	CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS (11-11, 4-4 WAC)

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After he usually wins the opening tip of games, Grand Canyon junior center Duke Brennan stays devoted to reacting to the basketball.

Brennan only takes six shots per game but is dictating much of GCU's success with how he follows the ball, whether it be to become a top-25 rebounder nationally or to screen and seal defenders so that he can spring ball-handling teammates.

The Lopes (17-5, 7-1 WAC) enter the second half of conference play Saturday night at California Baptist with Brennan averaging 13.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during their six-game winning streak.

In Riverside, California, where a 60-member throng of family and friends turned out last season, Brennan will fend off the WAC's leading offensive rebounding team and much-improved big man Kendal Coleman. The 6-foot-8 LSU transfer came off the California Baptist bench last season but is averaging 10.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season.

Brennan's progression is a two-year development, becoming a first-time starter last season as a GCU sophomore before averaging career highs with 10.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder ranks 25th nationally for rebounds but has proven especially adept at providing second chances for the Lopes with 3.44 offensive rebounds per game, the 11th-highest average in the nation.

"I learned the game, and I keep growing," Brennan said. "I've been feeling good. I've been using my skills differently, tracking the ball and finding players and plays at the rim.

"Rebounding is tracking the ball and trying to find zones to get around defenders. Nowadays, I'm getting two dudes on me. I'm getting around them using swim moves. If I can anticipate where the ball is coming off the rim, I can go to a spot faster."

Brennan has posted six double-doubles in the past eight games after having two double-doubles last season, both coming in nonconference play. He has three 15-rebound games this season and kept himself on the court better.

His rates of fouls per 40 minutes has dropped from 7.8 when Brennan was an Arizona State freshman to 5.4 with GCU last season and 3.8 this season. That follows two years of work with Lopes assistant coach Casey Shaw, who was a 13-year pro in the NBA and Europe as a 6-11 center.

"He's a great big man coach," Brennan said of Shaw. "He's also a dude who's really tough. He tells me stories about losing teeth and getting scars. He knows that if you're tougher than the other dude, you're going to win the battle 95% of the time. That's my motto too."

Brennan is developing as more of a scoring threat on the post. He springs the Lopes offense with his quality high screens and deep seals, but he also is shooting a career-best 66.1% from the field this season. He would rank fourth nationally if he met the minimum qualification of 5.0 made field goals per game. He is at 4.1 per game.

"I'm using simple moves because I know I'm stronger than a lot of these dudes, and I have fast feet," Brennan said. "I'm trusting my work and shots around the rim. My touch is feeling better. A lot of it is confidence, going up in those pockets where you have enough space to get up and score."

CBU prep

The Lopes were the odd team out in the nine-member WAC's Thursday night schedule, providing a week to prepare for California Baptist and giving GCU and conference co-leader Utah Valley a three-game edge in the loss column with eight games remaining.

Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said it was well-timed after an emotional three-day stretch of home wins against Seattle U and Utah Valley last week. The players were given two days off but practiced four days for the Lancers, who boast WAC leading scorer Dominique Daniels Jr.

Daniels, a 5-10 senior guard, is averaging 20.0 points per game on 38% shooting from the field. He did not play in either California Baptist loss to GCU last season.

"He's a really dynamic player," Drew said. "He scores on all three levels. He has one of the best bursts of speed in the country. He plays with a lot of emotion."

California Baptist (11-11, 4-4 WAC) lost 60-57 to Southern Utah at home Thursday night, when their rally from an 11-point, second-half deficit fell short with the Thunderbirds getting two offensive rebounds in the final 14 seconds.

"I thought the development component for our group would take some time," CBU head coach Rick Croy said on the Lancers Athletics Podcast after the previous 83-60 home win against Abilene Christian. "I thought we'd have a few more complete performances by this time of the season, but we have a lot more room to grow."

Phipps returns

GCU freshman point guard Styles Phipps will be available to play Saturday at California Baptist for the first time since Dec. 17, when he suffered a right thumb fracture at Louisiana Tech and needed surgery.

Phipps, a Phoenix St. Mary's High School graduate, made nine appearances with frequent rotation time before the injury occurred. A Louisiana Tech player inadvertently kicked Phipps' thumb on a rebound.

"He looks really good dribbling, passing and shooting," Drew said. "We don't see too many effects of the injury."

Lope tracks

Senior guard Ray Harrison needs 11 points to pass Jovan Blacksher Jr. for seventh on the GCU all-time scoring leaderboard. He has scored 1,344 points in 2 1/2 Lopes seasons and.has 2,231 career points, including two Presbyterian seasons, to rank eighth among active Division I players. Alabama's Mark Sears is the only active D-I player with more career free throws made than Harrison (593).
Since the new year, GCU's Tyon Grant-Foster is averaging 17.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1,9 blocked shots and 1.7 steals per game with 53% shooting from the field and 41% from 3-point range. In November and December, the graduate swingman averaged 10.5 points on 28% shooting.
GCU ranks third nationally for free throws points per game (19.7), 11th for steals per game (9.6) and 28th for blocked shots per game (5.0).
The Lopes lead the WAC in most points per game (79.5) and least points allowed per game (67.9).
GCU's national ranking for opponent field goal percentage has risen from No. 259 in mid-December to No. 41 on Friday. The Lopes are allowing 40.5% shooting from the field this season. The Lopes have allowed the fifth-lowest clip in the nation since Dec. 17 at 37.5%.
The Lopes rank No. 88 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings.
GCU leads the all-time series with California Baptist 66-11 after sweeping last season's series.
California Baptist has the lowest turnover average in the WAC at 11.3 per game but also has the lowest 3-point percentage at 30.1%.
California Baptist guard Adam Moussa, a Tarleton State transfer, ranks second in the WAC with 5.0 assists per game.

Riverside, CA March 9, 2024 : The Lopes are regular-season champions again after crushing CBU 68-47 at the CBU Events Center. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Saturday, Feb. 8 | 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) | Fowler Events Center | Riverside, Calif.

CBU prep

Phipps returns

Lope tracks

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Players Mentioned

Duke Brennan

Tyon Grant-Foster

Ray Harrison

Styles Phipps

Grand Canyon University Athletics