When the Grand Canyon University men’s basketball team arrived in Denver for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, they noticed something pretty big was missing.
The middle school had a chartered flight from Phoenix to Denver by the NCAA, and that private flight clearly flummoxed team personnel because the team arrived without their uniforms, gear and bags.
Fortunately, Antelopes head coach Bryce Drew had a savior in Denver in his older brother, Scott Drew, who coaches the Baylor Bears.
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Grand Canyon Antelopes head coach Bryce Drew looks on during the game against the Sam Houston Bearkats at the Orleans Arena on March 10, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Louis Grasse/Getty Images)
According to CBS Sports, the aging Drew came to the rescue as GCU was set up for its first practice before Friday’s game against third-seeded Gonzaga (the Antelopes are a 14th seed). GCU would use the Baylor team for practice.
«We’re going to connect them,» Scott Drew said, via CBS Sports. «What are big brothers for!»
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Both GCU and Baylor wear Nike uniforms and gear, so all the equipment needed to get the job done in practice was at Bryce Drew’s disposal.
However, on Friday, GCU will need to have their uniforms on before they step onto the court with the Bulldogs.
Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew looks down during the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum on February 21, 2023 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
While the team claimed that the airline was unable to get the team from Phoenix to Denver, that was not the case at all. The NCAA sent out a memo for scenarios in which teams were contracted.
Because it was not via a commercial airline or terminal, each school was responsible for loading and unloading their equipment onto the plane. GCU didn’t read the memo very well.
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So while they don their green and gold on Wednesday, the Antelopes will expect to see their purple and white in the locker room come game time.
Gonzaga is the heavy favorite in this First Round matchup as Fox Bet has the differential currently set at minus-15.5, which means the Bulldogs are expected to win by 16 points or more.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew leads his team during the Big12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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However, as March Madness has shown us, underdogs and Cinderella stories can happen with just about any team. Since GCU is already feeling the tournament craziness with this issue, who knows what else could happen to the Antelopes when the notice hits.