CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The SUU Men's Basketball team will open Conference play against top-ranked Grand Canyon University. The Lopes were picked to finish first in the preseason rankings, returned the reigning WAC Player Of The Year in Tyon Grant-Foster, and added the WAC Freshman Of The Year in Makaih Williams, who played for UT Arlington a season ago.
Head Coach Rob Jeter said
"This is going to be a tough test for us, Grand Canyon has a lot of talent on their roster and are a well-coached team. We haven't played our best the last few games and will need to play with a lot of effort and discipline on Saturday."
Game Details
- Who: Southern Utah University (8-4, 0-0 WAC) @ Grand Canyon University (10-4, 0-0 WAC)
- When: Satuday, January 4, at 6:00 p.m.
- Where: Global Credit Union Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
- Watch: ESPN+
- Live Stats: HERE
History
The Thunderbirds have never beaten Grand Canyon, 0-7 all time, including three matchups in the late 1980's and early 90's. Since joining the Western Athletic Conference, SUU is 0-4 against GCU, including a 66-84 loss in the WAC Championship game in 2023.
Scout The Lopes
Grand Canyon was picked to finish first in the Western Athletic Conference preseason rankings, and Tyon Grant-Foster was picked as the preseason WAC Player of the Year. GCU had an impressive win against Stanford but also tough losses against UC Davis and Louisiana Tech.
They are currently on a four-game winning streak, most recently handily defeating Bryant 112-66.
The Lopes are number one in the WAC in points per game, scoring 79.6, and are number two in the WAC in scoring defense, only allowing 69.4. Grand Canyon leads the league in steals per game at 10.01 and a turnover margin of +4.21, so taking care of the rock will be paramount for the Thunderbirds.
JaKobe Coles, a senior transfer from TCU, leads the Lopes in scoring this season, pouring in 14 points per game on 52% from the field. Grant-Foster has only played in 12 games this year, averaging 12.3 points per game, but has significantly struggled shooting the basketball. He is at 28% from the field and 12% from three, making just six of his 50 three-point attempts. His defensive prowess still lumes large for GCU, with 23 steals and a team-high 16 blocks.
Ray Harrison, the Conference Tournament MVP from 2022-23, returned for his fifth year at GCU and averages 12.1 points per game on 37% from the field and from deep. He tops the WAC in free-throw percentage at 89%. He leads his team in total assists with 44 through 14 games. Lök Wur, the 6'9 Oregon transfer, is just under 10 points per game and is shooting the three ball at nearly 50%, making 19 of his 40 attempts.
Makaih Williams was the freshman of the year in the WAC a season ago, but for the UT Arlington Mavericks. He transferred to GCU and has been phenomenal, especially last week when he exploded for 31 points against Bryant.
The Thunderbirds
Despite being on a four-game losing skid, the Thunderbirds still rank third in the Conference in points per game, at 77, but have slid to sixth in the conference in points allowed, with 73. The T-Birds have the third-best field goal percentage in the conference (45%) and the third-best opponents' field goal percentage (42%).
SUU leads the conference in total rebounds with 545, with a rebounding margin of +2.29. They're second in the conference in blocked shots (66), and Brock Felder is first in the conference in total blocks (27).
Jamir Simpson is third in the conference in points per game, coming in at 16.79. He scored at least 20 points in eight of the team's last 11 games. He is also averaging five rebounds per game. Dominique Ford has been battling through injury but is still scoring 14 points per game on 42% from the floor and 35% from three. He ranks third in the conference in three-pointers made with 30.
Tavi Jackson is just under 10 points per game, on 55% from the field and 33% from three. He leads the team with 34 assists and 15 steals on the year. Jamari Sibley has been the key for SUU this season, he is shooting the ball well and his defensive contributions have been enormous. Brock Felder is a force protecting the rim, with a league-leading 27 blocks.
Southern Utah has struggled turning the ball over this season, and against a pesky Grand Canyon defense, it will be vital that they are able to limit turnovers.
Tickets
Season tickets, mini packages, and single-game tickets are now available! Get yours today by visiting tbirdtickets.com
FOLLOW US
Stay up to date during the 2024-25 Southern Utah Men's Basketball season by following @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
DONATE
To help support Thunderbird athletics consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support click here.
