GCU trying to make up ground on Midwest trip
Grand Canyon’s basketball team, 0-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, can get back on track with a road sweep of Chicago State and Kansas City this week.
It starts with Thursday’s 6 p.m., game at Chicago State in a battle of the only two teams without a win in the WAC.
As bad as it has been for GCU (5-11, 0-2), it’s even worse at Chicago State (415, 0-4), which has lost 10 of 12 meetings against the Antelopes.
A Midwest sweep was something GCU used to be able to count on to get it out of any doldrums. But that’s not a given, not with how badly the Antelopes have played and not with how well Kansas City has played.
The KC Kangaroos, who play host to GCU on Saturday, are 9-9 and 2-2 and gave first place and defending WAC champ New Mexico State trouble in a 7471 loss in Las Cruces last week.
GCU just wants to win after coming off consecutive WAC losses by seven points or fewer the last two weeks at Cal State Bakersfield and at home against California Baptist.
After last week’s poor start and 61-57 loss to California Baptist, Coach Dan Majerle blamed himself for everything that has gone wrong with his team this year.
He’s been trying to find ways to reach his players. This is the worst conference start since GCU moved into the WAC seven years ago.
Maybe a road trip will help. Home hasn’t helped. The Antelopes are 4-5 at GCU Arena, which is considered one of the best college environments in the nation with the loud and well-choreographed Havocs.
“We’ve got to find a way to win two games on the road,” Majerle said. “If we do that, we’re right back in business. Our guys understand that. They’re capable of doing that.”
This has been the most frustrating of Majerle’s seven seasons leading the Lopes. From missing on TCU transfer Jaylen Fisher to a season-ending injury to J.J. Rhymes to never having senior Oscar Frayer because of academic difficulties, Majerle hasn’t been able to rely on age and experience as he’s done in the past when he hit speed bumps.
His 2016-17 team that ended up 22-9 was beset by so many injuries that at one point Majerle didn’t have enough players to scrimmage. But there were enough older players to get them to 20 wins and make it a successful season.
This team hasn’t been able to figure a way to maneuver around hard times.
“My fault,” Majerle said. “Not even close.
“We took a couple of big swings and misses on Jaylen and Oscar. It hurt us being ineligible. We’re not who we thought we were going to be. And we haven’t played well.”
Majerle said he’s excited about the four guys signed for next year:
Guard Liam Lloyd of Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash.; point guard Chance McMillian of Golden State Preparatory Academy; former Chandler Hamilton wing Rashad Smith, in his second year at Pima Community College; and Quincy Urbina, a 6-foot-7 small forward from the City College of San Francisco.
“We’re going to probably have three scholarships left anyway,” Majerle said.
“This year’s not over, but we’ll reload for next year.”
St. John’s-transfer Mikey Dixon, who played well late to give GCU a shot against California Baptist, believes this team can still make a run to a WAC title.
“This is a good opportunity to go 2-0 on the road,” Dixon said. “And come back home and take care of business. But we can’t let anymore slip. We have to come out like we’re desperate for a win.”