CBB Rank 2024: No. 49, Grand Canyon Basketball

Grand Canyon basketball looks to make the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons after running the WAC.

The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. We will reveal the next team each day until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Grand Canyon Antelope basketball.

My frustrations with this team are something that is personal, as they were one of the teams that messed up my NCAA bracket early last year. When they took out a Saint Mary’s team that I believed could take down an Alabama team. However, this team is coming back extremely strong. Coach Bryce Drew kept most of his starters, having only one graduate and losing a rotation player to the portal. The good news is that he jumped on the transfer portal and convinced an impressive freshman, Makaih Williams, senior Jakobe Coles, and potentially significant Dennis Evans, who had a limited showing last year in Louisville. For a team that went 30-5, the hope is there, and that is why this team comes out so highly rated. 

If these newcomers maintain or even improve as players under Bryce Drew, this team is poised to run the WAC and has a shot at a nice run in the NCAA tournament. Adding a couple of depth pieces, Grand Canyon also has strong rotational players who can contribute massive minutes at every position. 

Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Head coach: Bryce Drew (4th season)

2023-24 record: 30-5 (17-3)

2024 postseason finish: Second-round loss to Alabama (72-61)

Notable departures: 

• Gabe McGlothan (12.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 39.8 3P%)
• Jovan Blacksher (4.8 PPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 RPG, 41.9 3P%)

Notable non-conference games: 

• vs. Western Kentucky (Nov. 9)
• vs. Arizona State (Nov. 14)
• vs. Stanford (Nov. 26)
• vs. Georgia (Dec. 14)
• vs. Saint Louis (Dec. 22)

Projected Rotation

PG: Rayshon Harrison (6-4, 180, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 13.5 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.9 RPG

SG: Makaih Williams (6-1, 185, So.)

2023-24 stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 45.3 3P% (UT Arlington)

SF: Tyon Grant-Foster (6-7, 210, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 20.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 33.1 3P%

PF: JaKobe Coles (6-7, 225, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 10.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 42.2 3P% (TCU)

C: Duke Brennan (6-10, 235, Jr.)

2023-24 stats: 7.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, 58.3 FG% 

6: Collin Moore (6-3, 205, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 8.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.8 SPG

7: Caleb Shaw (6-5, 195, Rs.-So.)

*Redshirted in 2023-24*

2022-23 stats: 5.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.3 SPG (Northern Colorado)

8: Lok Wur (6-8, 200, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 5.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.3 APG, 32.1 3P% 

9: Traivar Jackson (6-6, 210, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 4.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 57.8 FG% (Tarleton State)

10: Dennis Evans (7-1, 215, Fr.)

2023-24 stats: 1.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.7 BPG, 62.5 FG% (Louisville)

Grand Canyon Basketball Team MVP: Tyon Grant-Foster

After an impressive 2023-2024 season, Tyon Grant-Foster hopes to repeat as the WAC’s Player of the Year and WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. He was also first team All-WAC and WAC All-Conference Tournament team. Grant-Foster is setting himself up to be an NBA Draft pick. Last year, he was the conference leader in points per game, field goals, 2-point field goal attempts, free throws, and free throw attempts. When one looks deeper into Grant-Foster’s stats, he was also number one: player efficiency, win share, offensive and defensive win shares, win shares per 40 minutes, box plus0minus, points produced, and points produced per game. He is on a similar team this year, potentially with more talent. Tyon Grant-Foster has to be even more of a leader and become an even better all-around basketball player. This was a big task when he was one of the best two-way players in the NCAA last year. 

So, what does Tyon Grant-Foster need to do to reach the NBA? The first, while being the most significant part of the Grand Canyon team, he must show his play-making ability. Grant-Foster is likelier to take the shot or drive the ball than pass it to a teammate for a potentially easier or high-percentage shot. If he can increase his assist to turnover, this would greatly help his draft stock. After averaging 20 points per game last year, he could easily maintain this or even drop to 18 if he can find teammates to make the shot. Another area he can focus on is his ability to catch and shoot on 3-pointers. Grant-Foster is a good 3-point shooter, but these came off the dribble. He could be a darling in the draft if he can work on these items and become more fluid in dribble penetration. Tyon Grant-Foster has an incredible story that includes a ton of adversity. 

Grand Canyon Basketball make-or-break player: JaKobe Coles

Jakobe Coles has been on quite a rollercoaster in the NCAA. Starting his career at Butler during COVID and transferring to TCU, he has slowly become an excellent basketball player. Now, Coles comes to Grand Canyon to complete the one-two punch Grant-Foster and Gabe McGlothan. He will be stepping into McGlothan’s role and, based on the level and talent he has been playing with, should dominate. There is little doubt in my mind that Coles will be a starter for this team after starting eleven games for TCU last year.

He has some room to grow. Coles must work on becoming a vacuum around the basket, as McGlothan ate up rebounds. He is stepping into a different system and has to buy in. The success can be there, and this team can easily cruise into the NCAA tournament with a significant win total. Minimizing second chance opportunities, creating space, and making shots could assist in boosting JaKobe Coles on NBA draft stock. He could easily be in the G-League at the end of this year, or if he returns to Grand Canyon (likely with a waiver), he could show up massive for the Antelopes this year and next. 

Key analytic: Free throw rate

The Grand Canyon basketball team from last year was in the top 10 in three categories. However, the area that they truly shined was the free throw rate. Last year, the team was able to get to the line. To figure out the FTR, one takes the total free throws attempted divided by the total field goals attempted. The Antelopes had a 46.7, only being beaten out by Winthrop and Alabama A&M. The average free throw rate was 32.8. If this team can get close to the free 19 points (74.8 FT%), it is a massive help. If these new players continue this trend and can increase that percentage, the team will gain almost six additional points per game. 

Grand Canyon Basketball 2024-25 projections

Projected conference finish: First in the WAC

Projected postseason ceiling: Elite Eight