Scouting Notebook: Grand Canyon vs Seattle U
In a step off the beaten path, Rowan took a local trip to Seattle University to watch the Redhawks take on the Lopes. Which prospects impressed him in the game and why?
If you’re reading this, given your basketball fandom, then I don’t need to remind you what month this is. In all of its glory, March is finally here and ready to give us heartbreak, heart-pounding finishes, and the best sporting event in the world. That’s why, like everyone else, I’m ringing in March with…a mid-major conference game?
A late season clash between Grand Canyon University and Seattle University might not be at the top of everyone’s wishlists, but it’s been circled on my calendar since schedules came out last year. Since moving back to my birthplace, I’ve wanted to go to my recent alma mater, Seattle U, and take in the sights, sounds, and shots of the Western Athletic Conference.
There’s value not just for this year, but also for future years, in straying from the beaten path to scout games like this. Only watching the top squads would keep me from finding diamonds in the rough. Sticking to the traditional mid-major conferences wouldn’t let me track how great basketball players are progressing on their respective teams.
That’s why I headed to the Redhawk Center alongside my end-of-the-month March Madness extravaganza to watch Tyon-Grant Foster and last season’s WAC champion Antelopes take on Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe and the Redhawks. I have thoughts on both players, alongside a few other fun deep sleepers and potential fliers on each team.
Grand Canyon
Tyon Grant-Foster
I’d had this matchup circled with watching Tyon Grant-Foster in mind, but it was not to be. A nagging ankle injury kept him out of this contest and, admittedly, took some pregame air out of the matchup. Luckily, that was restored by a great close to the game itself, but it’s worth dissecting what’s gone awry for Grant-Foster this season.
Last year, after a thunderous return to college basketball relevancy, Grant-Foster landed in the Top 60 on my Ouija Board. Although quite old for a draft prospect, his blend of athleticism, shooting, and defensive playmaking stood out enough to make his age concerns less valid. Thus, I was a bit confused at his choice to return to GCU but still excited for his encore episode.