Grand Canyon Needs MWC Tournament Win for NCAA Bid

Coach Bryce Drew says his team must win the Mountain West Conference tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Grand Canyon men's basketball has made the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five years, but coach Bryce Drew says his team will likely need to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament this season to earn an automatic bid. The Antelopes are currently fifth in the MWC standings, with key games against UNLV and conference leader Utah State remaining.

Why it matters

Grand Canyon has been a consistent NCAA Tournament team in recent years, but the competition in the Mountain West is tougher than the Western Athletic Conference they previously played in. Winning the MWC tournament will be crucial for the Antelopes to extend their run of NCAA Tournament appearances.

The details

Drew said the key for Grand Canyon is getting a top-four seed in the MWC tournament, which would give them a first-round bye. The team's success has often been tied to the play of center Efe Demirel, who leads the team in blocks. When Demirel scores 10 or more points, the Antelopes are 9-3. Grand Canyon has played well against some of the top MWC teams but has also suffered close losses, and Drew believes his team plays at its best when the bigs, including reserve Dennis Evans, are impacting the game.

  • Grand Canyon's next opponent is UNLV on February 25.
  • The Antelopes then face conference leader Utah State on March 1.
  • The Mountain West Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 11-16.

The players

Bryce Drew

The head coach of the Grand Canyon men's basketball team, who has led the Antelopes to four NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five seasons.

Efe Demirel

Grand Canyon's starting center, who leads the team with 27 blocks and is a key to the team's success when he plays aggressively.

Dennis Evans

A reserve big man for Grand Canyon who provides energy and rim protection off the bench, helping the Antelopes when their frontcourt is playing well.

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What they’re saying

“It looks like you have to go in and win the conference tournament. So, just as much pressure as there was the last couple years. But there's a lot of good teams. There's a lot of teams that could win it.”

— Bryce Drew, Head Coach, Grand Canyon (Arizona Sports)

“Big key for us has been Efe Demirel, our center. When he's played aggressive, when he's played well, our team's been on a different level of performance, and so he's a really big key to what we do.”

— Bryce Drew, Head Coach, Grand Canyon (Arizona Sports)

“When it's a great matchup and he can be around the rim and protect it, he's a game changer for us with how he alters shots, can block shots, and also the energy he brings. Our crowd loves him, our players like him when he does good things.”

— Bryce Drew, Head Coach, Grand Canyon (Arizona Sports)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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