After a long four year probationary period, the Lopes finally have a chance to compete in the WAC Conference tournament in Las Vegas. The Lopes finally get their spotlight under the Vegas lights, and they have an opportunity to earn their ticket to March Madness. It’s been a long time coming, but Dan Majerle’s Lopes are ready. After watching the WAC tournament from afar the past four years, the Lopes finally get their chance to eat at the table.
Throughout that time the Lopes have built the foundation of a mid-major juggernaut that is ready to burst. It starts with the atmosphere the Lopes have created with their nationally recognized student section, the Havocs. Vegas is not ready for the Havocs to take the city over.
The WAC regular-season champion New Mexico St brings a talented team that has the potential to make a mid-major run in the tournament. However, GCU and the Havocs are the main attraction. The Lopes will bring over 800 Havocs to the GCU arena, and many of them will be skipping their classes to see their team at the opening tip.
The Lopes will need to win three consecutive games to punch their ticket to the Dance. The Lopes play in the tournaments opening matchup against 6 seeded UMKC at 1 pm on Thursday.
In the preseason, the Lopes were predicted as the number one team in the WAC, and there was never-ending hype surrounding the Lopes. Unfortunately, the Lopes season did not lead up to the overexerting hype, as their stagnant offense led to inconsistent play and a three-game losing streak in the middle of WAC play. The Lopes finished the season (20-10) and a (9-5) record in the conference that landed them the 3 seed in the tournament. Grand Canyon head coach Dan Majerle made it clear those games don’t matter anymore. The only games that count are the three potential matchups ahead. This weekend means everything for the Lopes and the team is well aware of the stakes.
“I’ve been waiting five years for this. It means everything to us,” said Josh Braun, guard and GCU’s leading scorer, and Dan Majerle’s first recruit. Braun has been a centerpiece throughout GCU division 1 evolution. Braun who experienced early season shooting struggles early in the season has been extremely efficient the past few games returning to his original form.
The Lopes have looked underwhelming at times during the season, but they have been playing their best stretch of basketball heading into the tournament. The Lopes are on a three-game winning streak and freshmen Alessandro Lever has been unstoppable in the post. Over the last three contests, the WAC freshman of the year has averaged 23 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Lever will present a huge matchup problem against a very small UMKC team in the first round. The Lopes also have a really deep team and are built to be successful in a conference tournament like this.
A GCU win would set up a likely Friday semifinal showdown with Utah Valley or Cal St Bakersfield, which the Lopes split the season series against both teams. If the Lopes can win on Friday it would most likely set up an epic matchup against WAC regular season champions New Mexico State. A GCU and NMSU final is what college basketball fans want to see.
Defense Wins Championships:
If the Lopes are gonna a punch a ticket into the tournament it is going to be a result of their defense. The Lopes rank 4th in total effective field goal percentage, first in three-point defense, 18th in turnover percentage, and 33rd overall in defensive efficiency.
But the Lopes aren’t looking ahead. GCU senior forward Keonta Vernon, coach Dan Majerle made it clear that “You can’t take anyone for the granted, we will see out it goes.”
The Lopes first postseason performance is definitely something worth paying attention to.