NCAA – Even in defeat, big steps forward by Grand Canyon University hoops

GCU Basketball has come a long way from Antelope Gym days…

The Cinderella run of Grand Canyon University ended on Sunday night, with the ‘Lopes fading late in a 72-61 loss to Alabama in a round of 32 game in Spokane, Washington. The stat sheet said that GCU should’ve lost. 2-20 from 3pt. Country and hitting just 18 buckets from the floor. Why GCU had every chance to shock the college basketball world didn’t appear in the box score. A lot of skin was left on the floor. Collin Moore had a few drops of blood from his nose, too, after getting whacked in the in the first half. 

Grand Canyon stepped further onto the national college basketball stage by beating Santa Clara(A 5th seed) on Thursday. Even in defeat, the ‘Lopes brand continues to grow into more than just the team that comes out of the Western Athletic Conference each year only to get boat raced by bigger programs. GCU belonged on the national stage here in 2024. The days of “nice little story” are gone. The fan base is among the best in the nation. The administration is committed at all levels to making athletics the centerpiece of the campus. The arena that the ‘Lopes play in has the best atmosphere in the state and at or near the top in the nation. 

It was a 30-win season, an NBA first-round draft pick in Tyon Grant-Foster, a head coach in demand, and a campus genuinely committed to winning. It’s nice to have that in the Valley…

Can’t wait for late October, when the ‘Lopes crank it up for another season…