{"id":35932,"date":"2020-12-17T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=35932"},"modified":"2020-12-17T12:54:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T17:54:21","slug":"grand-canyon-antelopes-look-to-make-strides-in-the-wac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2020\/12\/17\/grand-canyon-antelopes-look-to-make-strides-in-the-wac\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Canyon Antelopes Look to Make Strides in the WAC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Out west, the Mountain West and West Coast conferences<\/a> dominate whatever media exposure is available. More specifically, the Gonzaga Bulldogs<\/a> and sometimes the San Diego State Aztecs<\/a> get the most attention. However, the Grand Canyon Antelopes from the Western Athletic Conference are causing a stir in the region. Grand Canyon beat the Nevada Wolf Pack, took the Arizona State Sun Devils to the wire, and have a matchup against the San Francisco Dons fast approaching.<\/p>\n

The Grand Canyon Antelopes are off to a Fast Start, Eyeing a WAC Title<\/h2>\n

Grand Canyon eyes a WAC Title<\/h3>\n

The Antelopes have started their 2020-21 campaign strong. Grand Canyon convincingly won their first three games against Grambling, Benedictine, and Mississippi Valley State by an average of 28.7 points. They currently average 81.6 points per game.<\/p>\n

Though their first three contests could be argued as a soft schedule, Grand Canyon\u2019s next matches were nothing of the sort. The Antelopes defeated Steve Alford<\/a>\u2019s Nevada Wolf Pack 87-77, and then two days later played No. 23 ASU to a one-point game. It took a clutch three by the Sun Devil\u2019s preseason All-American, Remy Martin<\/a><\/strong>, with nine seconds left to beat Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n

Yet, a loss is still a loss. But even with a win against a ranked PAC-12 foe, the Antelopes wouldn\u2019t be receiving any at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. However, what the program has accomplished in a short two-game span is that they\u2019ve shown they can compete at a high level. Being able to schedule opponents from highly-touted mid-major and Power-5 conferences will not only help Grand Canyon gain exposure, but it will also allow them to grow as a program\u2014even faster than they already have.<\/p>\n

Dan Majerle Leads Grand Canyon’s Transition<\/h3>\n

In 2013, the Antelopes jumped up to NCAA Division I men\u2019s basketball. The program joined the WAC, and after a four-year probationary period, they competed in their first conference tournament in 2018. The Antelopes reached the final as the 3-seed that year, losing to the perennial conference ruler, the New Mexico State Aggies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the helm of their transition into D-I ball was former NBA player Dan Majerle<\/a>. Most basketball fans remember Majerle as a key contributor to the great Phoenix Suns<\/a>‘ core of the late-1980s\/early-1990s. His effective three-point shooting, defensive prowess, and thunderous dunks earned him three trips to the NBA All-Star game. He became beloved in Arizona as a player, and then as a coach\u2014for seven years, at least.<\/p>\n

Majerle led Grand Canyon to six winning seasons but was fired by the school after a subpar 2019-20 effort. It was an ugly breakup, one that led to a lawsuit<\/a>, but just like any messy tail-end of a relationship, each party had to move on. Grand Canyon found their next match fairly quickly\u2014another well-known name in the basketball world.<\/p>\n

Bryce Drew Hired by Grand Canyon in 2020<\/h3>\n

Bryce Drew<\/a> may be best known for his iconic buzzer-beater that led 13th-seeded Valparaiso to an upset victory over fourth-seeded Ole Miss in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Here\u2019s a reminder if you have three minutes:<\/p>\n