GCU faces NMSU in pivotal home WAC series
New Mexico State’s basketball team couldn’t even stay in its own state. It had to find refuge in Phoenix, not far from Grand Canyon University, at a resort that allowed for a makeshift basketball court, so that it could play this season.
The Aggies (3-1) have played just one NCAA Division I team and have yet to play a conference game. The team squeezed in a game on Monday, despite missing five players, for its first competition since December 1.
But, the reigning Western Conference champions is back.
The Aggies open their WAC season on Friday and Saturday with back-to-backs in a key series at GCU Arena, where the Havocs will be allow to have 900 to be in attendance.
This will be the most fans (all on-campus students) that first-year GCU coach Bryce Drew will see at home.
And this will be his first taste of GCU’s biggest rivalry, one that the Antelopes call a rivalry at least, a series that has been owed by the Aggies.
But if the Antelopes can seize a moment, it is now against a team that had to leave its state because of the COVID-19 mandate not allowing for gatherings of more than five people.
COVID-19 also led to a slew of canceled games.
“Obviously, it’s a different year,” Drew said. “They’ve played one Division I team. They’ve only had their full team for a game or two. Scouting is very difficult. But if you look at the history of what they’ve done, it’s remarkable.
“The winning streaks that they have, the conference championships, the really good players, and really good coaching to win all of those conference championships.”
New Mexico State has won its last eight meetings against GCU and 33 consecutive conference games, including tournaments. GCU lost to New Mexico in
Athletic the last two WAC Tournament championship games. COVID-19 ended the 201920 season before the tournament began last March.
New Mexico State has lived on the glass from the time Marvin Menzies coached the Aggies to now Chris Jans, who is in his fourth season leading them.
But rebounding is now the strength of
the Antelopes under Drew, who was able to land 7-foot transfer Asbjørn Midtgaard, who left Wichita State, where there was a deep stable of centers and not enough minutes for him.
In 13 games at GCU (10-3, 4-0), Midtgaard leads the nation in field-goal percentage at 74.5%. He has made his last 11 shots. He leads GCU in scoring (15.1
points a game) and rebounding (9.8).
GCU leads the nation in rebound margin at plus-12.2. The Lopes have won the rebounding battle in all 13 games. They also are the only NCAA Division I team to be in the top 10 for field-goal percentage (51.8%, fifth) and field-goal percentage defense (37.7%, eighth).
“Last year, they (Aggies) had 25 offensive rebounds in our arena here,” Drew said. “They’re excellent for giving that first effort, giving that second effort of getting to the glass. I think any team that ever plays New Mexico State, Chris Jans’ team, is going to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to really rebound, because they’re really good at crashing the boards.’ “
This is a big opportunity for GCU to try to make a statement now when the Aggies are just now getting started in conference play.
“We’re preparing for everybody to play (for NMSU),” Drew said. “They have a deep, talented roster. We’ll be ready for everybody. I think the big thing going in, we’ve done things but we haven’t played each other. We tweak things. It might be a cat and mouse game for a while, kind of see as we catch a rhythm how they’re defending us and how we’re going to defend them and then see on Saturday the adjustments that are going to be made.”