Grand Canyon chosen by WAC coaches to repeat in 2023-24 men’s basketball preseason poll

Oct 17, 2023, 12:52 PM

North Texas Mean Green Forward Aaron Scott (1) and Grand Canyon Antelopes Guard Ray Harrison (0) fight for possession during a College Basketball game between the Grand Canyon Antelopes and the North Texas Mean Green at the Jerry Colangelo Classic on December 10th, 2022, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

BY AARON SCHMIDT

Arizona Sports

For the second straight season, Grand Canyon men’s basketball returned to the top of the preseason Western Athletic Conference (WAC) men’s basketball coaches poll.

GCU is the defending WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament champion, reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23 for the second time in school history.

The Antelopes claimed nine first-place votes and 99 voting points, finishing ahead of Stephen F. Austin (87 votes) and Seattle (86 votes).

GCU junior guard Ray Harrison was named the 2023-24 WAC Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches. Harrison averaged 21.1 points and 3.6 assists per game in 17 conference starts, resulting on an all-conference first team placement as a sophomore transfer last season.

He led GCU to a WAC Tournament title as the championship’s most outstanding player where he averaged 20 points and 5.5 assists in four tournament starts.

Joining Harrison on the 2023-24 preseason all-conference team was GCU redshirt senior forward Gabe McGlothan, who averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in conference play in 2022-23.

The Lopes open their season on Nov. 6 when they take on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks.

2023-24 WAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

Rank	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1.	Grand Canyon (9)	99
2.	Stephen F. Austin (2)	87
3.	Seattle U	86
4.	Utah Valley	61
5.	Abilene Christian	60
6.	Tarleton State	49
7.	California Baptist	47
8.	UT Arlington	43
9.	Southern Utah	26
	UTRGV	26
11.	Utah Tech	21