Story Links Grand Canyon is creating a basketball buzz again with its third consecutive NCAA tournament trip and for how its first-round matchup as a No. 13 seed sizes up with No. 4 seed Maryland.”There’s no substitute for experience in March, and the WAC tourney champs have plenty of it. GCU’s wins over Stanford and […]
Grand Canyon is creating a basketball buzz again with its third consecutive NCAA tournament trip and for how its first-round matchup as a No. 13 seed sizes up with No. 4 seed Maryland.”There’s no substitute for experience in March, and the WAC tourney champs have plenty of it. GCU’s wins over Stanford and Saint Louis and a blowout of America East champ and fellow tourney participant Bryant suggest it won’t bend to anyone. Grand Canyon gives Maryland all it can handle before bowing out.”
ISAAC TROTTER, cbssports.com
“Maryland has been one of my favorite darkhorse, Final Four picks for awhile, but his draw for the 4-seed Terps is brutal. First up is a date with 13-seed Grand Canyon who is just teeming with high-major players. Maryland is the more talented team but it’s not a major advantage. Plus, top-200 teams are shooting just 50% at the rim against Grand Canyon, who has a wealth of athletes and size. Woof. The top guy on the scouting report has given Maryland fits for the last month or so, and Grand Canyon star Tyon Grant-Foster is a big-time player capable of going for a 30-piece whenever he wants. He’s one of the best foul-drawing wings in the country and that’s a problem against a thin Maryland squad.”
JORDAN BRENNER and PETER KEATING, newyorktimes.com/athletic
“Tyon Grant-Foster, the star of last year’s team, has struggled with injuries this season, playing in only 25 games (and starting only 16). But he returned for the WAC Tournament and played 29 minutes in the championship game. If he can play as he did in last year’s tournament, the Lopes are better than their advanced metrics suggest. Like last season, Grand Canyon pressures the ball on defense, forcing turnovers on 20.6 percent of opponents’ possessions. But this season, they play faster, shoot worse and are less effective on the offensive glass, all of which are problems, according to Slingshot. That’s why the Lopes’ secret sauce is actually a negative number … Maryland is a rough matchup for Grand Canyon.”
CHRIS KNOCHE, Maryland radio analyst, 106.6 The Fan
“In talking with all the NBA guys that I speak to on a regular basis, they’ve all made the trip to Grand Canyon. They’ve got some NBA-level possibilities out there. They’re going to be talented.”
JOE LUNARDI, espn.com
“West Region potential upset … Grand Canyon is a big, physical team with several key players back from a team that won a first-round game last year as a No. 12 seed. Maryland has tremendous talent but lacks depth.”
JAY BILAS, espn.com
STEVE BERKOWITZ, USA Today
MATT NORLANDER, CBS Sports on NCAA March Madness Bracket Breakdown
“Sixty-nine points from your starting five is a pretty nice number and give that you’ve got Derik Queen at the center of it. He’s been one of the three or best freshman in the country this season. It’s not just him, though. Julian Reese is a very accomplished big man veteran. Ja’Kobi Gillespie can really shoot it. Selton Miguel is highly undervalued. He might even have a career at the next level. He’s really, really the guy that keeps it all together. I think it is enough. I’m not saying that depth doesn’t matter, but coaches will tell you, when you get into the tournament as long as you don’t have injury issues, you want to shrink that rotation overall. I do like Maryland’s chances to make a deep run in the tournament.”
CLARK KELLOGG, CBS Sports on NCAA Selection Show
“That Grand Canyon team is not a typical mid-major team,” CBS college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg said. “They’ve got size, great experience. They’ve been to the tournament. That’s going to be a tough challenge for a very good and explosive Maryland team.””This year’s Grand Canyon team relies much more on defense than simply outscoring opponents, which was the goal last season. The ‘Lopes hold opponents to 68.7 points per game and just 45.9 percent from the field, the latter of which is a top-30 mark nationally. The style of play has changed just a bit, but Grand Canyon has the experience and defensive tenacity to contend for another win in the big dance. Grand Canyon can sit down and lock in defensively, but it lacks the defensive manpower to slow down Maryland’s high-octane offense. Even if the ‘Lopes try to muck things up by making it a defensive battle, they’re doing it against one of the country’s best defensive teams. Grand Canyon is well-coached and will be ready to play, but Maryland’s array of talent and principles on both sides of the floor make it a team that is very hard to upset.”“Player to watch: Derik Queen (Maryland). The freshman big man has unusual skill and great feet. He averages 16.3 PPG and is a big part of a Maryland offense that outscores its opponents by 16.4 PPG (seventh best in Division I).
Winner: Maryland
Potential for upset: High. Grand Canyon can play. Last season’s roster was a bit better, but the Lopes will not be scared. The Terps will have to play well to win.”
DAN TREACY, sportingnews.com
The Lopes (26-7) and the Terrapins (25-8) will play at 1:35 p.m. Friday at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on TBS.
TRENT KNOOP, si.com
“The Lopes had another solid season and are full of D1 players. Grand Canyon has size to contend with Maryland and has star power as well. Tyon Grant-Foster is the Lopes’ top player who originally played at Kansas. Forward JaKobe Coles played at TCU and both players know what it’s like to play against top teams.”
JEREMY CLUFF, azcentral.com
“GCU has been on a hot streak, with its lone loss in its past 10 games a 1-point setback in overtime at Abilene Christian. The Antelopes impressed in the WAC tourney and won an NCAA Tournament game last season. That experience will go a long way in helping GCU pull off the upset. This is one to watch for sure.”
BENNETT CONLIN, baltimoresun.com
“The Antelopes can’t be overlooked by Maryland, as they have a win over an Atlantic Coast Conference team earlier this year — 78-71 over Stanford on a neutral court in November. They also have competitive losses to Arizona State and Georgia, which earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Grand Canyon lost to Arizona State by 11, but it only trailed by one point at halftime. Georgia beat the Lopes by just five points, as they used 14 offensive rebounds to help make up for a middling shooting performance.”
JEFF BORZELLO, espn.com
“No. 4 Maryland Terrpains 77, No. 13 Grand Canyon Lopes 66”
