After a strong year one in the Mountain West, Grand Canyon basketball looks to control the conference, like they did with the WAC
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Grand Canyon basketball.
When Bryce Drew took over at Grand Canyon in 2021, good things happened. In the five years he was in the WAC, they went to the tournament four times, including in 2023-2024 when they won 30 games and a Round of 64 game against Saint Mary’s. Last year, they joined the Mountain West, and while they couldn’t continue their tournament streak, they still finished with 20 wins and a top-four finish.
Now, with the Mountain West getting a makeover, Grand Canyon finds itself in a position to dominate. Combine great coaching, a terrific fanbase, and NIL resources, and they are here to stay.
The team we see in November might not be the team we see right now. Three players have committed to Grand Canyon, but are waiting on official eligibility status. One of those is Jaden Henley, last year’s leading scorer, passer, and had the most steals for this team. They also potentially bring in Tre Holloman, an Izzo guard, and Dan Skillings Jr., a longtime Big 12 guard.
Of the guys they do know will be suiting up, Makaih Williams is the biggest. He was the second-leading scorer on the team last year and a potential first-team All-Mountain West player. They also return Efe Demirel, the seven-footer who had a solid freshman campaign. Then, they add Dylan Darling and Jaden Zimmerman, two high-volume scorers, and Omaha Biliew, a former top-10 recruit still looking to find his home.
This is a team that will be strong on both ends of the floor, and a team that could be the best in the mid-major world if all three of those players are cleared. Even if they don’t, this Grand Canyon basketball team has the size, scoring, defense, and coaching to come out on top of the Mountain West Conference.
Head coach: Bryce Drew (15th season overall, 7th at Grand Canyon)
2025-26 record: 20-12 (13-7)
2026 postseason finish: No Tournament
Notable departures:
- Brian Moore Jr. (9.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.6 APG)
- Nana Owusu-Anane (9.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Saint Louis (Nov 24 – Acrisure Classic)
- Stanford OR Colorado (Nov 25 – Acrisure Classic)
- at Oklahoma State (Dec 2)
- vs. Santa Clara (Dec 5)
- at Memphis (Dec 11)
- vs. Florida (Dec 18)
Projected Rotation
PG: Tre Holloman (6-2, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 9.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 42.1 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 81.6 FT% (NC State)
*Eligibility pending NCAA and Supreme Court Ruling
SG: Makaih Williams (6-2, 190, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 14.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 43.0 FG%, 78.6 FT%
SF: Jaden Henley (6-7, 210, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 17.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 46.6 FG%, 75.6 FT%
*Eligibility pending NCAA and Supreme Court Ruling
PF: Omaha Biliew (6-8, 230, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 6.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 46.0 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 79.4 FT% (Wake Forest)
C: Efe Demirel (7-1, 240, So.)
2025-2026 stats: 8.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 63.0 FG%, 75.0 FT%
6: Dan Skillings Jr. (6-6, 210, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 9.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44.6 FG%, 71.2 FT% (Baylor)
*Eligibility pending NCAA and Supreme Court Ruling
7: Dylan Darling (6-1, 175, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 6.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 39.8 FG%, 71.8 FT% (St. John’s)
8: Tyler Behrend (6-10, 220, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 6.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 53.4 FG%, 68.5 FT% (Tulsa)
9: Jaden Zimmerman (6-5, 205, Jr.)
2025-2026 stats: 15.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 37.1 FG%, 67.1 FT% (Quinnipiac)
10: Amarion Dickerson (6-7, 200, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 4.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 50.0 FG%, 61.1 FT% (USC)
11: Blake Barkley (6-8, 220, Jr.)
2025-2026 stats: 14.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 58.9 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 84.0 FT% (ETSU)
Grand Canyon basketball team MVP: Makaih Williams
After a solid freshman year at UTA, Williams took a slight step back from an efficiency standpoint at Grand Canyon. Instead of running and finding the next big thing, he put on himself and the system, and it paid off, averaging 14 PPG with better efficiency. We saw him score 25 points in the Mountain West quarterfinal game, and solid performances against the Mountain West champ, Utah State.
If Henley comes back, he is the MVP, but assuming he doesn’t, Grand Canyon basketball will run through Williams on offense. He can score on all three levels and does a decent job getting to the line. He just needs to stay out of foul trouble, and he has the potential to be a star for this team.
Grand Canyon basketball make-or-break player: Dylan Darling
Darling had a monster junior year at Idaho State, averaging 19.8 PPG and 5.7 APG. He also grabbed 1.7 steals a game, making him one of the more prized mid-major transfers. He chose St John’s as his next destination, and while there were some highs, like hitting the buzzer-beater layup to send St John’s to the Sweet 16, or scoring 23 against Providence, there were also a lot of lows.
Being on a team with so much talent, he couldn’t do what he does best and often times found himself as more of a passer than a scorer. Now, if those players in question don’t get eligibility, he can have a similar role that we saw at Idaho State and really shine as a scorer. If he can’t separate himself, though, he can find himself buried on the bench and become more of a non-factor for a team that needs him.
Key statistic: Opponent Fouls per game
Sometimes, the best way to win is getting the other team in foul trouble. The more players at risk of elimination, the more cautious the defense has to play, meaning the offense can be more aggressive. Opponents fouled Grand Canyon basketball 20.2 times per game, 13th most in college basketball. Interestingly, the high volume of fouls didn’t lead to a high volume of free throws. They finished 85th in attempts per game, with 22.4.
Henley was incredible at getting to the line, and he’ll do so again if he’s back. Dylan Darling shot over 7 a game at Idaho State, and Zimmerman shot over 5 a game at Quinnipiac. If they can combine their ability to foul and increase their trips to the charity stripe, then that could be a backbreaker for their opponents.
Grand Canyon basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the American Conference
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Exit