GCU starts WAC play after layoff
Grand Canyon’s men’s basketball team last played a game on Dec. 22.
It was the last of a three-game skid. But in those three games — losses to Arizona State, San Francisco and Colorado — coach Bryce Drew got a better feel for his team than the 3-0 start against teams his first GCU team was expected to dominate.
“We could definitely play a lot better,” Drew said. “I was really pleased that we competed against some physical teams.
“There were a lot of positives that came out of those games. But for us to win those kind of games we have to be able to take care of the ball a little better. And we need to make shots. When our perimeter guys are making shots, it opens things up for our big guys.”
The Antelopes (4-3) open Western Athletic Conference play Friday night at Tarleton State. They will play Tarleton again the following night.
With COVID-19 dictating the landscape, that’s the way it’s going to be in WAC play. Back-to-back games Fridays and Saturdays against the same foe.
Tarleton (2-2) has gone even a longer stretch than GCU without playing due to COVID-19. Its last game was Dec. 9. The Texans had road games against No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 2 Baylor and then-No. 5 Kansas all canceled due to the virus.
Next week, GCU was scheduled to play host to Chicago State, but those two games have been canceled, because Chicago State canceled its season due to the virus. Drew said he is hoping to get three
games scheduled next week, but it’s been difficult because of COVID-19 to play opponents outside the conference.
GCU had two home games last week canceled because of coronavirus issues on its team.
With only a handful of practices since Christmas, Drew said he’s concerned that the rhythm may not be there to start WAC play like it was before Christmas.
“Every day it’s getting better,” Drew said. “I think the next step is to play games. Hopefully, by playing games, a lot of that rust will come off quickly, and we’ll get at playing at a good pace.”
Seems like it’s been a season since the Antelopes have played. They showed signs of being a good team in Drew’s first year leading the program during that 1-3 stretch that started with a 10-point win at home over Nevada.
They led ASU in the final minute, before Remy Martin shot the Sun Devils to a 71-70 win.
They were in it down the stretch against both San Francisco and Pac-12 Colorado in games in Las Vegas.
Tarleton (2-2) is new to the WAC this season. But Drew knows about its history of success since 2000 and how coach Billy Gillispie has a good track record in the NCAA with 150 career wins.
The last time Gillispie coached in a WAC game was17 years ago when he was at UTEP and was the WAC Coach of the Year. “The biggest thing that concerns me is their defense,” Drew said. “They do a really good job at pressuring the basketball and forcing a lot of turnovers. A lot of their offense comes on transition off of forced turnovers. That’s where that size versus speed comes into play.”
GCU has relied on its size, led by 7footer Asbjorn Midtgaard and 6-10 Alessandro Lever, with point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr., leading the offense.
Midtgaard and Lever have combined to average 29.4 points and14.5 rebounds.
Blacksher held his own against some of the best backcourts he’ll see this season in the last three games.
“I thought for 40 minutes, he was consistent with his effort,” Drew said. “He was consistent with his confidence, how he got us in our offense and defended. With games like that, it’s going to make him better. He played against three really good senior guards, who basically made a lot of winning plays to beat us in the last 10 minutes of the game. Those are the types of things that we expect from Jovan this year and as he gets older and more mature to make plays like those guys did down the stretch.”