Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Bryce Wheeler
Newcomer trio rounds out GCU roster
6/3/2025 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Abilene Christian transfer, 2 Valley prep products join Lopes for 2025-26
Grand Canyon begins summer workouts this week with a new roster look that was rounded out by a trio of newcomers.
Abilene Christian transfer Jack Sawyer and Valley prep products Luke Shaw and Cole Pepe join a GCU team that now has 10 newcomers among its 14 roster players.
Sawyer, a 6-foot-8 forward, began his collegiate career with 19 appearances as an Abilene Christian freshman, leaving three seasons of eligibility for his transfer to GCU. He shot 7 of 11 from the field in 4.3 minutes per game for the Wildcats, who went 16-16 and finished fourth in the WAC.
The finance major's seasons totals of 16 points and 16 rebounds included a four-point game at GCU in January.
A native of Aledo, Texas, Sawyer was a district Most Valuable Player and county co-Offensive MVP. With a versatile game known for court IQ, work ethic, versatility, rebounding and shooting, Sawyer averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on an Aledo High School team that went 20-13.
"Jack comes into GCU with Division I college experience and high character," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "He is a hard worker who we're excited to have in our program."
Shaw is well known around the GCU Basketball Practice Facility as the son of Lopes sixth-year assistant coach Casey Shaw and GCU Vice President of Government Relations Dana Drew Shaw, brother of junior guard Caleb Shaw and nephew of Drew.
The 6-foot-3 point guard became known statewide as a two-time Arizona Class 3A Player of the Year while playing for three state championship teams at Valley Christian High School in Chandler. Shaw averaged 25 points over his last two seasons for lender Trojans head coach Greg Haagsma's teams that went 59-4, including a 29-point state title game while playing with a stress fracture.
Shaw used a post-graduate season at Athletes in Action Prep Academy to strengthen his body, faith and skills in 2024-25, helping AIA Prep go 38-9 and reach the 18-team Prep Nationals.
"Luke comes off having a great year at Athletes in Action Prep in Ohio," Drew said. "He was an Arizona 3A Player of the Year twice. So I'm excited to have Luke be part of the Lope family."
Pepe (pronounced PAPE) also hails from the Phoenix area. The 6-foot-4 guard played two varsity seasons at Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, where he had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.33 to 1 as part of Saints teams that went 49-9.
Pepe's Notre Dame teams qualified for the open state championship tournament with No. 2 and No. 6 seedings in the past two years. Coach Brad Quinet's teams requested the semifinals in Pepe's junior season and quarterfinals this year.
"Cole comes from a very prestigious program and school in the Phoenix area," Drew said. "He has a history of working hard and being able to defend with high effort."
As the only mid-major program ranked in 247Sports' top 50 transfer portal classes, Drew and the Lopes staff previously added Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington), Jaden Henley (UNLV), Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State), Nana Owusu-Anane (Brown), Jack Sawyer (Abilene Christian), Kaleb Smith (UC Riverside) and Dusty Stromer (Gonazaga). GCU is ranked at No. 35 without the rankings reflecting Smith's addition, and the Lopes also drew from the international pool with the signing of 7-foot-1 Turkish center Efe Demirel.
The Lopes also return guards Makaih Williams, who started most of last season, and Caleb Shaw, who started three games last season, as well as 7-foot-1 center Dennis Evans, who redshirted last season.
Abilene Christian transfer Jack Sawyer and Valley prep products Luke Shaw and Cole Pepe join a GCU team that now has 10 newcomers among its 14 roster players.
Sawyer, a 6-foot-8 forward, began his collegiate career with 19 appearances as an Abilene Christian freshman, leaving three seasons of eligibility for his transfer to GCU. He shot 7 of 11 from the field in 4.3 minutes per game for the Wildcats, who went 16-16 and finished fourth in the WAC.The finance major's seasons totals of 16 points and 16 rebounds included a four-point game at GCU in January.
A native of Aledo, Texas, Sawyer was a district Most Valuable Player and county co-Offensive MVP. With a versatile game known for court IQ, work ethic, versatility, rebounding and shooting, Sawyer averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on an Aledo High School team that went 20-13.
"Jack comes into GCU with Division I college experience and high character," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "He is a hard worker who we're excited to have in our program."
Shaw is well known around the GCU Basketball Practice Facility as the son of Lopes sixth-year assistant coach Casey Shaw and GCU Vice President of Government Relations Dana Drew Shaw, brother of junior guard Caleb Shaw and nephew of Drew.The 6-foot-3 point guard became known statewide as a two-time Arizona Class 3A Player of the Year while playing for three state championship teams at Valley Christian High School in Chandler. Shaw averaged 25 points over his last two seasons for lender Trojans head coach Greg Haagsma's teams that went 59-4, including a 29-point state title game while playing with a stress fracture.
Shaw used a post-graduate season at Athletes in Action Prep Academy to strengthen his body, faith and skills in 2024-25, helping AIA Prep go 38-9 and reach the 18-team Prep Nationals.
"Luke comes off having a great year at Athletes in Action Prep in Ohio," Drew said. "He was an Arizona 3A Player of the Year twice. So I'm excited to have Luke be part of the Lope family."
Pepe (pronounced PAPE) also hails from the Phoenix area. The 6-foot-4 guard played two varsity seasons at Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, where he had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.33 to 1 as part of Saints teams that went 49-9.Pepe's Notre Dame teams qualified for the open state championship tournament with No. 2 and No. 6 seedings in the past two years. Coach Brad Quinet's teams requested the semifinals in Pepe's junior season and quarterfinals this year.
"Cole comes from a very prestigious program and school in the Phoenix area," Drew said. "He has a history of working hard and being able to defend with high effort."
As the only mid-major program ranked in 247Sports' top 50 transfer portal classes, Drew and the Lopes staff previously added Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington), Jaden Henley (UNLV), Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State), Nana Owusu-Anane (Brown), Jack Sawyer (Abilene Christian), Kaleb Smith (UC Riverside) and Dusty Stromer (Gonazaga). GCU is ranked at No. 35 without the rankings reflecting Smith's addition, and the Lopes also drew from the international pool with the signing of 7-foot-1 Turkish center Efe Demirel.
The Lopes also return guards Makaih Williams, who started most of last season, and Caleb Shaw, who started three games last season, as well as 7-foot-1 center Dennis Evans, who redshirted last season.
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/ Men's BasketballMakaih Williams | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Dusty Stromer | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Kaleb Smith | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Non-Conference Schedule Release | Men's Basketball
Monday, August 04