2017–18 Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team American college basketball season
The 2017–18 Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represented Grand Canyon University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . They were led by head coach Dan Majerle in his fifth season at Grand Canyon. The Antelopes played their home games at the GCU Arena in Phoenix, Arizona as members of the Western Athletic Conference . They finished the season 22–12, 9–5 in WAC play to finish in third place. They defeated UMKC and Utah Valley to advance to the championship game of the WAC tournament where they lost to New Mexico .[ 1] They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they lost in the first round to Mercer .[ 2]
The season marked the Antelopes' first full season as a Division I school after a four-year transition period from Division II to Division I. This means the team was officially eligible for the NCAA tournament if they had qualified, as well as becoming fully eligible for the WAC tournament .
Previous season
The Antelopes finished the 2016–17 season 22–9, 11–3 in WAC play to finish in a tie for second place. Citing injuries, they decided to not participate in a postseason tournament.[ 3] They had participated in the CIT the previous three seasons.
Offseason
Departures
Incoming transfers
Name
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Note
Previous School
Casey Benson
G
6'3"
185
Jr.
Tempe, AZ
Graduate transfer from Oregon . Immediately eligible with one year eligibility.[ 4]
Oregon
Incoming recruits
College recruiting information
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Damarion Milstead PG
Hayward, CA
Moreau Catholic High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
155 lb (70 kg)
Mar 1, 2016
Star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN : ESPN grade: 79
Roberts Blumbergs PF
Latvia
Get Better Academy
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
209 lb (95 kg)
Jun 26, 2016
Star ratings : Rivals : N/A 247Sports : N/A
Alessandro Lever PF
Bolzano , Italy
Istituto Secchi
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
209 lb (95 kg)
Mar 14, 2017
Star ratings : Rivals : N/A 247Sports : N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note : In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
Roster
2017–18 Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G
--
Adrian Carrion Armas (W)
5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)
173 lb (78 kg)
Sr
Canarias Basketball Academy
Seville, Spain
G
0
Shaq Carr
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
172 lb (78 kg)
Sr
Canyon Springs College of Southern Idaho
Las Vegas, NV
G
1
Fiifi Aidoo
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
So
Helsinki Basketball Academy
Helsinki, Finland
G
2
Joshua Braun
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
RS Sr
Westwind Prep Academy
Anthem, AZ
G
3
Parker Dale
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Fr
Scots College
Sydney, Australia
F
4
Oscar Frayer
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
191 lb (87 kg)
So
Moreau Catholic
Hayward, CA
F
5
Matt Jackson
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
RS Jr
Diamond Valley
Diamond Creek, Australia
G
10
Damari Milstead
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
160 lb (73 kg)
Fr
Moreau Catholic HS
Hayward, CA
G
11
Casey Benson
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Sr
Corona del Sol HS Oregon
Tempe, AZ
F
12
Roberts Blumbergs
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
Fr
GBA (Prague)
Ventspils, Latvia
G
13
Ibrahima Sankaré
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
RS Fr
SEED Academy
Thiès, Senegal
G
15
Cheick Sy-Savane
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Sr
Our Savior New American
Harlem, NY
F
21
Kerwin Smith
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
222 lb (101 kg)
RS Jr
Woodrow Wilson
Dallas, TX
G
22
Nehemiah Allen (W)
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
So
Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego, OR
F
24
Keonta Vernon
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
242 lb (110 kg)
Sr
Tulare Union College of Southern Idaho
Tulare, CA
F
25
Alessandro Lever
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Fr
Istituto Secchi, Reggio Emilia
Bolzano, Italy
G
35
Kenzo Nudo
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
204 lb (93 kg)
RS So
Chaparral
Scottsdale, AZ
G
42
Gerard Martin
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
223 lb (101 kg)
RS Jr
Australian Institute of Sport
Manly, Australia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster
Schedule and results
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
Oct 22, 2017 *5:00 pm
at Nevada Charity exhibition benefiting North Bay Fire Relief
L 72–81
15 – Frayer
7 – Blumbergs
3 – Martin
Lawlor Events Center (3,072)Reno, NV
Nov 2, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView /ESPN3
St. Francis (IL)
W 89–49
17 – Lever
8 – Smith
9 – Benson
GCU Arena (7,118)Phoenix, AZ
Regular season
Nov 10, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Florida A&M
W 67–51
1–0
11 – Aidoo/Braun
9 – Vernon
4 – Benson/Braun
GCU Arena (7,202)Phoenix, AZ
Nov 13, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Robert Morris Grand Canyon Classic
W 75–61
2–0
20 – Braun
9 – Frayer
5 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,833)Phoenix, AZ
Nov 18, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Little Rock Grand Canyon Classic
W 76–51
3–0
29 – Braun
6 – Frayer/Vernon
3 – 5 players tied
GCU Arena (7,394)Phoenix, AZ
Nov 20, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Norfolk State Grand Canyon Classic
W 75–60
4–0
19 – Frayer
8 – Blumbergs/Vernon
8 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,889)Phoenix, AZ
Nov 25, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
San Diego Grand Canyon Classic
L 62–75
4–1
20 – Braun
10 – Benson
6 – Benson
GCU Arena (7,391)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 2, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
UC Riverside
W 68–56
5–1
14 – Blumbergs
7 – Blumbergs/Braun/Vernon
7 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,844)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 5, 2017 *9:30 pm, ESPNU
vs. St. John's Valley of the Sun Showcase
L 60–68
5–2
18 – Benson
15 – Vernon
3 – Aidoo
Talking Stick Resort Arena (8,907)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 9, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Grambling State
W 87–53
6–2
19 – Vernon
6 – Martin/Vernon
8 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,829)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 11, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
North Carolina Central
W 64–59
7–2
20 – Braun
7 – Braun
7 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,276)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 13, 2017 *7:00 pm
at Boise State
L 80–85 2OT
7–3
16 – Benson
12 – Vernon
5 – Carr
Taco Bell Arena (4,628)Boise, ID
Dec 18, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Mississippi Valley State
W 71–38
8–3
16 – Braun
6 – Braun/Lever
6 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,464)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 21, 2017 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Longwood
W 86–56
9–3
14 – Aidoo
10 – Lever
5 – Benson/Carr
GCU Arena (7,006)Phoenix, AZ
Dec 23, 2017 *11:00 am, ACCN Extra
at Louisville
L 56–74
9–4
14 – Frayer
9 – Vernon
7 – Benson
KFC Yum! Center (16,841)Louisville, KY
Dec 27, 2017 *6:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
vs. Morgan State Las Vegas Showcase
W 100–74
10–4
18 – Braun
9 – Lever
6 – Carr
Orleans Arena (1,544)Paradise, NV
Dec 30, 2017 *2:00 pm, BTN+
at Illinois
L 58–62
10–5
14 – Vernon
5 – Braun/Lever/Vernon
3 – Braun/Carr
State Farm Center (13762)Champaign, IL
Jan 6, 2018 8:00 pm
at Seattle
W 73–57
11–5 (1–0)
18 – Frayer
7 – Frayer/Martin
3 – Carr/Vernon
KeyArena (2,156)Seattle, WA
Jan 11, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
New Mexico State
L 59–70
11–6 (1–1)
15 – Braun
12 – Vernon
2 – 5 players tied
GCU Arena (7,521)Phoenix, AZ
Jan 13, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Texas–Rio Grande Valley
W 84–71
12–6 (2–1)
25 – Blumbergs
15 – Vernon
3 – Braun/Carr
GCU Arena (7,222)Phoenix, AZ
Jan 18, 2018 6:00 pm
at Chicago State
W 86–58
13–6 (3–1)
28 – Lever
8 – Lever
6 – Benson
Jones Convocation Center (463)Chicago, IL
Jan 20, 2018 6:00 pm
at UMKC
W 86–69
14–6 (4–1)
24 – Lever
10 – Lever
9 – Benson
Municipal Auditorium (1,440)Kansas City, MO
Jan 23, 2018 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
William Jessup
W 96–80
15–6
25 – Lever
8 – Blumbergs/Vernon
10 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,952)Phoenix, AZ
Jan 27, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN3
at Utah Valley
L 56–68
15–7 (4–2)
22 – Lever
9 – Frayer
5 – Benson
UCCU Center (4,881)Orem, UT
Feb 1, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
UMKC
W 79–62
16–7 (5–2)
18 – Vernon
13 – Frayer
4 – Benson/Martin
GCU Arena (7,005)Phoenix, AZ
Feb 3, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Chicago State
W 89–55
17–7 (6–2)
14 – Braun
8 – Vernon
6 – Benson
GCU Arena (7,244)Phoenix, AZ
Feb 8, 2018 7:00 pm
at Texas–Rio Grande Valley
L 81–83
17–8 (6–3)
22 – Lever
10 – Benson
6 – Benson
UTRGV Fieldhouse (1,038)Edinburg, TX
Feb 10, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPN3
at New Mexico State
L 70–74
17–9 (6–4)
23 – Frayer
10 – Frayer
3 – Benson/Blumbergs/Vernon
Pan American Center (12,989)Las Cruces, NM
Feb 17, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN3
at Cal State Bakersfield
L 58–71
17–10 (6–5)
11 – Frayer
6 – Lever
2 – Lever/Milstead
Icardo Center (3,002)Bakersfield, CA
Feb 22, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Seattle
W 76–64
18–10 (7–5)
30 – Lever
10 – Lever
5 – Benson
GCU Arena (6,925)Phoenix, AZ
Feb 24, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Utah Valley
W 60–59
19–10 (8–5)
16 – Frayer/Lever
8 – Jackson
5 – Jackson
GCU Arena (7,179)Phoenix, AZ
Mar 3, 2018 7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Cal State Bakersfield
W 81–62
20–10 (9–5)
23 – Lever
9 – Vernon
5 – Vernon
GCU Arena (7,372)Phoenix, AZ
WAC tournament
Mar 8, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPN3
(3)
vs. (6) UMKC Quarterfinals
W 77–74
21–10
29 – Lever
15 – Frayer
3 – Martin/Milstead
Orleans Arena (1,508)Paradise, NV
Mar 9, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN3
(3)
vs. (2) Utah Valley Semifinals
W 75–60
22–10
15 – Tied
8 – Tied
5 – Frayer
Orleans Arena (2,739)Paradise, NV
Mar 10, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPNU
(3)
vs. (1) New Mexico State Championship game
L 58–72
22–11
20 – Lever
8 – Vernon
4 – Vernon
Orleans Arena (3,065)Paradise, NV
CBI
Mar 14, 2018 *7:00 pm, YurView/ESPN3
Mercer First round
L 73–78
22–12
20 – Vernon
8 – Benson
7 – Benson
GCU Arena (5,941)Phoenix, AZ
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Mountain Time .
Source[ 5]
References
Venues Culture & lore People Seasons NAIA national championships in bold
Information related to 2017–18 Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team