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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Owusu-Anane fortifies frontline for GCU
5/6/2025 12:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Brown transfer tallied 14.7 points, 8.8 boards in 2023-24, out last season for injury
Winners attract winners.
After averaging 27 wins to reach the past three NCAA Tournaments, Grand Canyon landed one of the premier talents in the transfer portal because Brown 6-foot-8 power forward Nana Owusu-Anane wanted to join a winner.
The Lopes also are getting one of the hungrier basketball players in the nation. Owusu-Anane missed last season after suffering a partially torn left shoulder labrum on Brown's first day of practice last year.
Because he redshirted the season, the soon-to-be Ivy League economics graduate was able to visit a GCU home game in February. The impact of the coaches' connection with him stuck. After initially committing to SMU over a who's who list of programs, Owusu-Anane switched to signing with GCU.
"Nana is a great young man who fits our culture and playing style," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "We love his versatility offensively to go outside and inside, as well as being a good passer. Defensively, he is a physical rebounder who can defend the post and the perimeter. We are very excited he is a Lope."
Owusu-Anane, born in Maryland and raised near Toronto since he was 2, started his final 48 games at Brown and captained the Bears from his sophomore season through his injury season.
In his first postseason appearance, Owusu-Anane posted 19 points (on 8-of-11 shooting), 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots when Brown upset top-seeded Princeton in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament.
He finished that season shooting 47% from the field and 31% from 3-point range, a major uptick that the power forward expected to increase again until the injury sidelined him last season.
"I'd say I'm a versatile 4 who can switch," Owusu-Anane said. "Whoever I need to guard, I can guard. I can shoot the outside ball confidently well. I pass the ball really well.
"The main thing is I'm the hardest-playing guy. I'm a dog. I pride myself on doing the things that nobody else wants to do and really do whatever I can to impact winning. I understand that when you win, everybody wins."
As a Brown junior, Owusu-Anane earned an All-Ivy League spot on second team as one of the conference's top 11 players. He also averaged 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game that season
His signing put GCU as College Basketball Report's No. 33 transfer portal class after also the Lopes also added power forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington) and guards Jaden Henley (UNLV), Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State) and Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga).
After he graduates in three weeks, Owusu-Anane will join GCU workouts in June. That is significant because Ivy programs do not have summer workouts, and he was just cleared for basketball activity in March after rehabilitating his left shoulder.
He said he is champing at the bit for the opportunity.
"It's been a while, honestly, so I'm looking forward to getting acclimated with the guys and with the system," Owusu-Anane said. "The main thing is to just get back to playing again. It feels like forever. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to get to work and for the opportunity to play for GCU, the amazing program that it is, play for Coach Drew and do whatever I can to help us win games."
Owusu-Anane, whose parents emigrated from Ghana and raised him and his two sisters in Burlington, Ontario, said he trusted a gut feeling about GCU because of the relationship he developed with Drew and assistant coaches Jake Lindsey and Marc Rodgers.
GCU "felt like home" on his campus visit. Ultimately, he said the mutually beneficial relationship made his final decision a no-brainer.
"The fans showed me so much love," Owusu-Anane said of the Havocs and Lope Nation when he attended a home win against UT Arlington. "It was definitely a blessing for me to witness it."
His medical redshirt year focused on strengthening his left shoulder to avoid reinjuring it and developing his basketball IQ from observing basketball from a new perspective. As he continues to strengthen his frame, he is anxious to work with GCU associate director of sports performance Jordan Jackson ("He's that dude") and utilize other campus resources this summer.
"A year of not playing basketball just made me more motivated," Owusu-Anane said. "When something you love is taken away from you, it makes you put things into perspective, so I'm just really excited to get back on the court. The next time I get on that court, I really won't take it for granted.
"I want to do whatever I can to impact winning, and I know everything else will take care of itself. With the team we have, we have a really good chance to do something special."
After averaging 27 wins to reach the past three NCAA Tournaments, Grand Canyon landed one of the premier talents in the transfer portal because Brown 6-foot-8 power forward Nana Owusu-Anane wanted to join a winner.
The Lopes also are getting one of the hungrier basketball players in the nation. Owusu-Anane missed last season after suffering a partially torn left shoulder labrum on Brown's first day of practice last year.
Because he redshirted the season, the soon-to-be Ivy League economics graduate was able to visit a GCU home game in February. The impact of the coaches' connection with him stuck. After initially committing to SMU over a who's who list of programs, Owusu-Anane switched to signing with GCU.
"Nana is a great young man who fits our culture and playing style," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "We love his versatility offensively to go outside and inside, as well as being a good passer. Defensively, he is a physical rebounder who can defend the post and the perimeter. We are very excited he is a Lope."
Owusu-Anane, born in Maryland and raised near Toronto since he was 2, started his final 48 games at Brown and captained the Bears from his sophomore season through his injury season.In his first postseason appearance, Owusu-Anane posted 19 points (on 8-of-11 shooting), 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots when Brown upset top-seeded Princeton in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament.
He finished that season shooting 47% from the field and 31% from 3-point range, a major uptick that the power forward expected to increase again until the injury sidelined him last season.
"I'd say I'm a versatile 4 who can switch," Owusu-Anane said. "Whoever I need to guard, I can guard. I can shoot the outside ball confidently well. I pass the ball really well.
"The main thing is I'm the hardest-playing guy. I'm a dog. I pride myself on doing the things that nobody else wants to do and really do whatever I can to impact winning. I understand that when you win, everybody wins."
As a Brown junior, Owusu-Anane earned an All-Ivy League spot on second team as one of the conference's top 11 players. He also averaged 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game that season
His signing put GCU as College Basketball Report's No. 33 transfer portal class after also the Lopes also added power forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington) and guards Jaden Henley (UNLV), Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State) and Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga).
After he graduates in three weeks, Owusu-Anane will join GCU workouts in June. That is significant because Ivy programs do not have summer workouts, and he was just cleared for basketball activity in March after rehabilitating his left shoulder.
He said he is champing at the bit for the opportunity.
"It's been a while, honestly, so I'm looking forward to getting acclimated with the guys and with the system," Owusu-Anane said. "The main thing is to just get back to playing again. It feels like forever. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to get to work and for the opportunity to play for GCU, the amazing program that it is, play for Coach Drew and do whatever I can to help us win games."Owusu-Anane, whose parents emigrated from Ghana and raised him and his two sisters in Burlington, Ontario, said he trusted a gut feeling about GCU because of the relationship he developed with Drew and assistant coaches Jake Lindsey and Marc Rodgers.
GCU "felt like home" on his campus visit. Ultimately, he said the mutually beneficial relationship made his final decision a no-brainer.
"The fans showed me so much love," Owusu-Anane said of the Havocs and Lope Nation when he attended a home win against UT Arlington. "It was definitely a blessing for me to witness it."
His medical redshirt year focused on strengthening his left shoulder to avoid reinjuring it and developing his basketball IQ from observing basketball from a new perspective. As he continues to strengthen his frame, he is anxious to work with GCU associate director of sports performance Jordan Jackson ("He's that dude") and utilize other campus resources this summer.
"A year of not playing basketball just made me more motivated," Owusu-Anane said. "When something you love is taken away from you, it makes you put things into perspective, so I'm just really excited to get back on the court. The next time I get on that court, I really won't take it for granted.
"I want to do whatever I can to impact winning, and I know everything else will take care of itself. With the team we have, we have a really good chance to do something special."
Players Mentioned
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