Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
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2 p.m. (MST)
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Gilday
GCU stuffs nonconference schedule with tests, guests
8/4/2025 12:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes play 8 home games before MW play, starting with exhibition vs. USC
The buzz about Grand Canyon basketball does not wait for the Lopes' Mountain West debut.
GCU will start making noise earlier with a formidable nonconference schedule that will unveil the Lopes' promising roster with eight home games before Mountain West competition.
The new look of GCU will be unveiled with the best exhibition matchup of its Division I era. USC visits Global Credit Union Arena on Oct. 25, nine days before the Lopes open the regular season there on Nov. 3 against Purdue Fort Wayne.
To prepare the Lopes for their first season in the nation's sixth-best men's basketball conference, they will face seven programs that have reached the NCAA Tournament since 2015. The nonconference highlights include the USC home exhibition, a game at Saint Louis and neutral-site games against Oklahoma State, Utah and either Iowa or Ole Miss.
"We definitely want to have a chance for an at-large bid," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "If you look historically in the Mountain West, they average almost five teams going to the NCAA Tournament over the last three years. We're hopeful to get a lot of Quad 1 games in conference, and then a handful outside of conference to help. The biggest thing is winning games."
GCU is coming off its fourth NCAA Tournament trip in Drew's first five Lopes seasons. Drew restocked his roster with a heralded transfer class that features the highly rated graduate trio of guard Jaden Henley (UNLV), guard Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State) and power forward Nana Owusu-Anane (Brown), as well as adding freshman 7-foot-1 center Efe Demirel of Turkey.
Trojans second-year head coach Eric Musselman, who previously led Nevada and Arkansas teams to the NCAA Tournament, has formed a USC roster that is considered Big Dance caliber with transfers and national top-10 freshman Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA and Arizona star Gilbert Arenas.
"It's great because it doesn't count on their record or our record, and it gives our fans an awesome opportunity to see our guys for the first time against such a quality team like USC," Drew said.
Guard Rodney Rice, who faced GCU in the NCAA Tournament as a Maryland starter, is part of USC's incoming transfer group that also includes double-digit scorers in forward Ezra Ausar (Utah), guard Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn), Jaden Brownell (Samford), Ryan Cornish (Dartmouth), Amarion Dickerson (Robert Morris) and Jordan Marsh (UNC Asheville).
After going 17-18 in its first Big Ten season, USC brings back 6-foot-7 graduate Terrance Williams II, who was averaging 10.6 points last season before a December foot injury.
The Mastadons return starters Corey Hadnot II and Maximus Nelson, who combined for 16 points per game last season, and added eight transfers, led by guard DeAndre Craig after he averaged 13.5 points for Denver last season.
Faulkner brought in eight transfers from junior college, NAIA, Division II and Division I, including 6-2 senior guard Bryson Dawkins after he averaged 14.7 points for Houston Christian last season.
Northern Illinois, playing its final Mid-American season before joining the Horizon, looks to a boost from St. Francis transfer Daemar Kelly, a 6-5 guard who averaged 8.1 points last season.
"It's earlier in the year and is an extremely hard prep game for everything they run on offense and how they spread you," Drew said. "We'll have to really prepare early with a lot of things to be ready for that game."
GCU recorded a memorable home win last season against Saint Louis when Lök Wur rebounded his missed free throw and made a last-second baseline jumper.
Billkens star Robbie Avila, a 6-10 senior center with 1,542 career points, returns after averaging 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds last season. Fellow senior Kalu Anya, last season's top rebounder at 7.5 per game, is also back.
Saint Louis second-year head coach Josh Schertz added a transfer class with Northern Illinois' leading scorer (6-5 guard Quentin James), another 1,000 point scorer from Boston College (6-3 senior guard Dion Brown) and a Quinnipiac big man who averaged 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds (Paul Otieno).
The Demons return All-Southland Tournament Team pick Micah Thomas, a 6-foot senior guard who averaged 12.4 points, and their top rebounder in 6-6 senior forward Willie Williams. Former Tarleton State guard Izzy Miles joined Northwestern State.Nov. 25-26 at Acrisure Classic
GCU makes its return to the Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert, California, with a bigger platform, playing CBS Sports Network games against Utah on Nov. 25 and either Iowa or Ole Miss on Nov. 26.
New Utah head coach Alex Jensen brought in nine newcomers to join 6-foot-9 junior returnee Keanu Dawes. The transfer group is headed by Terrance Brown, a 20.6-point scorer at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the duo of Babacar Faye and Don McHenry, who were top Western Kentucky players last season.
When the Nov. 25 winners and losers match up on Nov. 26, GCU could get a 2021 NCAA Tournament rematch against Iowa or some NCAA Tournament nostalgia against Ole Miss, the 1998 upset victim of Valparaiso when Drew made "The Shot."
Iowa first-year head coach Ben McCollum brought six players from Drake and added 6-9 Spaniard Alvaro Folgueiras, the Horizon Player of the Year last season at Robert Morris.
Ole Miss also is retooling after a Sweet 16 season in head coach Chris Beard's second season. The Rebels aim for a third consecutive 20-win seasons by adding Louisville transfer Koren Johnson and Kansas transfer A.J. Storr.
Stetson added graduate transfer Jake Johnson, who averaged 19.3 points for NAIA Indiana East, to a team already returning Jamie Phillips Jr. after he averaged 11.2 points to make the All-Atlantic Sun Freshman Team.Dec. 6 at Jerry Colangelo Classic
The GCU tradition of playing at the Suns' arena in downtown Phoenix continues with a Dec. 6 Jerry Colangelo Classic doubleheader of the Lopes against Oklahoma State and Arizona State against Oklahoma.
Senior guard Anthony Ray, who was averaging 25.7 points at Green Bay last season before a foot injury, joins second-year Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz's quest for a conference title with his third program.
Associate head coach Ryne Lightfoot and assistant coach Kylen Butler both are making returns to GCU, where they progressed their careers as Drew's past director of player development and director of recruiting, respectively.
New Jaguars head coach Ben Howlett won eight consecutive conference titles at Division II West Liberty, where he finished as the 2023 national runner-up and averaged 27 wins with an .854 winning percentage. Four West Liberty players followed Howlett to IU Indy, which added two other Division II transfers and an NAIA transfer.
GCU's first Mountain West schedule will be announced later for the Lopes' first season in the 12-team conference, which also includes Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming.
Availability of season tickets is limited. If interested, visit here.
GCU will start making noise earlier with a formidable nonconference schedule that will unveil the Lopes' promising roster with eight home games before Mountain West competition.
The new look of GCU will be unveiled with the best exhibition matchup of its Division I era. USC visits Global Credit Union Arena on Oct. 25, nine days before the Lopes open the regular season there on Nov. 3 against Purdue Fort Wayne.To prepare the Lopes for their first season in the nation's sixth-best men's basketball conference, they will face seven programs that have reached the NCAA Tournament since 2015. The nonconference highlights include the USC home exhibition, a game at Saint Louis and neutral-site games against Oklahoma State, Utah and either Iowa or Ole Miss.
"We definitely want to have a chance for an at-large bid," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "If you look historically in the Mountain West, they average almost five teams going to the NCAA Tournament over the last three years. We're hopeful to get a lot of Quad 1 games in conference, and then a handful outside of conference to help. The biggest thing is winning games."
GCU is coming off its fourth NCAA Tournament trip in Drew's first five Lopes seasons. Drew restocked his roster with a heralded transfer class that features the highly rated graduate trio of guard Jaden Henley (UNLV), guard Brian Moore Jr. (Norfolk State) and power forward Nana Owusu-Anane (Brown), as well as adding freshman 7-foot-1 center Efe Demirel of Turkey.
Oct. 25 vs. USC (exhibition)
The Oct. 25 home exhibition against USC will give Lope Nation its first in-person peek at GCU's 11 newcomers, two returning juniors (guard Caleb Shaw and guard Makaih Williams) and two returning redshirt freshman (center Dennis Evans and forward Braylon Johnson).Trojans second-year head coach Eric Musselman, who previously led Nevada and Arkansas teams to the NCAA Tournament, has formed a USC roster that is considered Big Dance caliber with transfers and national top-10 freshman Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA and Arizona star Gilbert Arenas.
"It's great because it doesn't count on their record or our record, and it gives our fans an awesome opportunity to see our guys for the first time against such a quality team like USC," Drew said.
Guard Rodney Rice, who faced GCU in the NCAA Tournament as a Maryland starter, is part of USC's incoming transfer group that also includes double-digit scorers in forward Ezra Ausar (Utah), guard Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn), Jaden Brownell (Samford), Ryan Cornish (Dartmouth), Amarion Dickerson (Robert Morris) and Jordan Marsh (UNC Asheville).
After going 17-18 in its first Big Ten season, USC brings back 6-foot-7 graduate Terrance Williams II, who was averaging 10.6 points last season before a December foot injury.
Nov. 3 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
The GCU regular season starts at home Nov. 3 against Purdue Fort Wayne, a Horizon League team that has averaged 20 wins over the past four seasons.The Mastadons return starters Corey Hadnot II and Maximus Nelson, who combined for 16 points per game last season, and added eight transfers, led by guard DeAndre Craig after he averaged 13.5 points for Denver last season.
Nov. 7 vs. Youngstown State
That opening week also includes a Nov. 7 home game against Youngstown State, which has posted three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history. Penguins second-year head coach Ethan Faulkner replaced Jerrod Calhoun last season and continued the program's success by guiding Youngstown State to the Horizon League Championship title game.Faulkner brought in eight transfers from junior college, NAIA, Division II and Division I, including 6-2 senior guard Bryson Dawkins after he averaged 14.7 points for Houston Christian last season.
Nov. 10 vs. Northern Illinois
The season-opening homestand concludes with a Nov. 10 game against Northern Illinois, where former Arizona State associate head coach Rashon Bruno is the Huskies' fifth-year head coach.Northern Illinois, playing its final Mid-American season before joining the Horizon, looks to a boost from St. Francis transfer Daemar Kelly, a 6-5 guard who averaged 8.1 points last season.
Nov. 15 at Saint Louis
The Lopes' first road test comes Nov. 15 at Saint Louis, where the Billikens went 14-3 at 10,600-seat Chaifetz Arena last season."It's earlier in the year and is an extremely hard prep game for everything they run on offense and how they spread you," Drew said. "We'll have to really prepare early with a lot of things to be ready for that game."
GCU recorded a memorable home win last season against Saint Louis when Lök Wur rebounded his missed free throw and made a last-second baseline jumper.
Billkens star Robbie Avila, a 6-10 senior center with 1,542 career points, returns after averaging 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds last season. Fellow senior Kalu Anya, last season's top rebounder at 7.5 per game, is also back.
Saint Louis second-year head coach Josh Schertz added a transfer class with Northern Illinois' leading scorer (6-5 guard Quentin James), another 1,000 point scorer from Boston College (6-3 senior guard Dion Brown) and a Quinnipiac big man who averaged 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds (Paul Otieno).
Nov. 21 vs. Northwestern State
GCU returns home Nov. 21 for a final home game before Thanksgiving Week. Northwestern State visits after a season in which it went 16-16 (12-8 in Southland play) for an eight-win improvement under third-year head coach Rick Cabrera.The Demons return All-Southland Tournament Team pick Micah Thomas, a 6-foot senior guard who averaged 12.4 points, and their top rebounder in 6-6 senior forward Willie Williams. Former Tarleton State guard Izzy Miles joined Northwestern State.
Nov. 25-26 at Acrisure Classic
vs. Utah and Iowa or Ole Miss
GCU makes its return to the Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert, California, with a bigger platform, playing CBS Sports Network games against Utah on Nov. 25 and either Iowa or Ole Miss on Nov. 26.New Utah head coach Alex Jensen brought in nine newcomers to join 6-foot-9 junior returnee Keanu Dawes. The transfer group is headed by Terrance Brown, a 20.6-point scorer at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the duo of Babacar Faye and Don McHenry, who were top Western Kentucky players last season.
When the Nov. 25 winners and losers match up on Nov. 26, GCU could get a 2021 NCAA Tournament rematch against Iowa or some NCAA Tournament nostalgia against Ole Miss, the 1998 upset victim of Valparaiso when Drew made "The Shot."
Iowa first-year head coach Ben McCollum brought six players from Drake and added 6-9 Spaniard Alvaro Folgueiras, the Horizon Player of the Year last season at Robert Morris.
Ole Miss also is retooling after a Sweet 16 season in head coach Chris Beard's second season. The Rebels aim for a third consecutive 20-win seasons by adding Louisville transfer Koren Johnson and Kansas transfer A.J. Storr.
Dec. 2 vs. Stetson
After the Thanksgiving break, GCU will return to action at home Dec. 2 against Stetson. The Hatters, who reached the 2024 NCAA Tournament with 24 wins, are trying to recapture that form under seventh-year head coach Donnie Jones.Stetson added graduate transfer Jake Johnson, who averaged 19.3 points for NAIA Indiana East, to a team already returning Jamie Phillips Jr. after he averaged 11.2 points to make the All-Atlantic Sun Freshman Team.
Dec. 6 at Jerry Colangelo Classic
vs. Oklahoma State at PHX Arena
The GCU tradition of playing at the Suns' arena in downtown Phoenix continues with a Dec. 6 Jerry Colangelo Classic doubleheader of the Lopes against Oklahoma State and Arizona State against Oklahoma.Senior guard Anthony Ray, who was averaging 25.7 points at Green Bay last season before a foot injury, joins second-year Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz's quest for a conference title with his third program.
Dec. 13 vs. Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina visits GCU with six Division I transfers, including guards Josh Beadle (Boston College) and DeJohn Craig (Oregon State), joining junior guard RaSheed Jones after he averaged 11.6 points for the Chanticleers last season.Associate head coach Ryne Lightfoot and assistant coach Kylen Butler both are making returns to GCU, where they progressed their careers as Drew's past director of player development and director of recruiting, respectively.
Dec. 22 vs. IU Indy
The final nonconference game to prep GCU for Mountain West play will come against IU Indy at home Dec. 22.New Jaguars head coach Ben Howlett won eight consecutive conference titles at Division II West Liberty, where he finished as the 2023 national runner-up and averaged 27 wins with an .854 winning percentage. Four West Liberty players followed Howlett to IU Indy, which added two other Division II transfers and an NAIA transfer.
GCU's first Mountain West schedule will be announced later for the Lopes' first season in the 12-team conference, which also includes Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming.
Availability of season tickets is limited. If interested, visit here.
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