Henley returns to UNLV as fabulous fit for GCU

Saturday, February 7

Thomas & Mack Center • Las Vegas, Nev.

2:30 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

UNLV

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

2/6/2026 8:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU Notes

Senior guard emerges as 1 of Mountain West's top players

By: Paul Coro

When UNLV last saw Jaden Henley exiting the Thomas & Mack Center and the Runnin' Rebels program soon thereafter, the 6-foot-7 guard was emerging into a greater role with the Runnin' Rebels putting the ball in his hands more.

Now, UNLV has to deal with the repercussions of that career evolution taking off for Grand Canyon.

Jaden Henley and Makaih Williams

Henley returns with GCU to face his old team Saturday at UNLV as a Mountain West Player of the Year candidate having a career season. The Lopes (15-7, 8-3 MW) will make the program's "Big Four" network debut on Fox at 2:30 p.m. (Phoenix time) with Henley's continuing improvement putting GCU 1 ½ games out of first place in the conference.

"Going back to the school that I was at, there's a little bit more juice for me in my senior year," Henley said. "I'm going out there to win."

The 6-foot-7 playmaker from Ontario, California, is coming off two of his soundest games of the season, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds with 62% shooting in 29.5 minutes per game.

For the season, Henley is averaging career highs in points (17.1, sixth in MW), rebounds (5.5, 10th in MW) and assists (2.7, 20th in MW) and shooting a career-best 46.6% (up from 42% previously). Six of his career's top eight scoring games have occurred this season at GCU, where he also posted his only two career double-doubles, his first six-steal game and a career-best 13-rebound game.

"Jaden does so many things well out there," said Lopes head coach Bryce Drew, who is pursuing his 300th career win Saturday. "I love to see him getting used to our system. The more comfortable he's gotten, he's been able to find his spaces to score more. He's defended better. And he's rebounded the ball at a high level lately. I'm really pleased with what Jaden's brought to us, especially this last month. He just keeps climbing."

Jaden Henley

Henley has no ill will toward UNLV, where only his 2024-25 travel roommate, sophomore center Jacob Bannarbie, remains from his 2024-25 team that went 18-15. After enduring coach firings at DePaul and UNLV in the past two years, Henley entered the transfer portal and had selected GCU just as Josh Pastner was getting settled in Las Vegas as its new head coach.

When Pastner was at Mountain West Media Day in October, Henley made Pastner's head turn in passing with his size.

"I would've loved to have him," Pastner told GCU Radio Network's Media Day show. "He was really good toward the end of the season when he was at the point guard. Earlier on, he was still good, but I didn't think the ball flowed as well toward him when he wasn't at the point. When he took over the point, they were pretty good, and he's a really talented guy."

But just as Henley grew from 6-3 to 6-7 during his sophomore year at Colony High School, his game has grown in stature this season with Drew entrusting him with the conference's highest usage rate. About 29% of GCU plays are in his hands, and he has been steadier than a Mercedes-Benz on a desert road. Henley is one of 16 players in the nation who is averaging at least 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

With a lack of familiar faces on his old UNLV bench, the sentimentality of returning to Thomas & Mack Center will come more with seeing support staff and arena personnel again. Drew has reminded him to control his emotions, but Henley has shown to be an even-keeled performer. He is not sure what to expect for a greeting from UNLV fans, but he knows he will have a large family turnout and the Havocs behind him.

"I heard our fans are traveling, so that should be exciting," Henley said. "I like to play in front of our fans. As long as they're there, it's cool."

UNLV might be the most athletic team that GCU has faced this season, but it has allowed a Mountain West-high 78.8 points per game and is on a four-game losing streak.

The Runnin' Rebels are averaging 8.3 steals and 4.3 blocks per game and drawing a conference-best 25.7 free throw attempts per game in the first season under Pastner, a former Memphis and Georgia Tech head coach who began as an Arizona walk-on player, graduate assistant and assistant coach.

Since taking the job, Pastner has said that a UNLV-GCU rivalry is important to the Mountain West future.

This is the only conference opponent that GCU has not seen yet this season. The Runnin' Rebels (10-12, 5-6 MW) are coming off a stunning 98-96 Tuesday loss at Fresno State in which four Runnin' Rebels fouled out and the Bulldogs scored the game's final seven points in six seconds.

UNLV junior Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who transferred from Illinois, is averaging 18.0 points per game with three-level scoring that was good for 26- and 28-point outputs in the past week.

GCU has won five of its past six games, with the only loss coming in overtime at Nevada, when starting guard Brian Moore Jr. was out injured. Junior guard Caleb Shaw remains out with a right ankle injury.

"I'm really proud of how our guys have raised their level of play since the conference season started," Drew said. "The second half is going to be even more intense. We're going to have to raise our bar even higher."

Lope tracks

The Thomas & Mack Center will be the site of the Mountain West Championship on March 11-14. GCU has not played there since 2011, when the Lopes lost 83-66 as a Division II program.
GCU is one of 14 teams in the nation to hold opponents to less than 40% shooting since Nov. 25, when the Lopes defense pivoted in performance at the Acrisure Classic.
In the six-year Drew coaching era, GCU ranks sixth nationally for opponent field goal percentage (40.1%).
The Lopes are allowing a conference-low 67.7 points per game, which ranks 39th nationally, and are 20th nationally in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.
GCU graduate power forward Nana Owusu-Anane ranks third in the Mountain West for rebounds per game (8.3) and fifth for blocks per game (1.0).
Lopes junior guard Makaih Williams is averaging 15.3 points per conference game after averaging 10.7 in nonconference games.
GCU is 14-0 in games they led at halftime.
The Lopes are 11-1 when it makes at least 30% of its 3-point shots.
GCU has a NET ranking of No. 66, a 35-spot rise since Jan. 16.
The Lopes defeated Air Force 81-57 on Tuesday despite going 10 for 21 on free throws, its worst single-game percentage since March 2023 (9 for 20 at Utah Tech, also a win).
The Fox (Channel 10 in the Phoenix area) broadcast announcers will be Jeff Levering (play by play) and Jordan Taylor (analyst).