Grand Canyon's men's basketball team will play two exhibtion games in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Aug. 4 and 6 to help develop chemistry with a rebuilt roster.
Leading the way is former St. John's point guard Dylan Darling, who made a splash during March Madness last season with his last-second layup that beat Kansas and sent the Red Storm to the Sweet 16.
For Darling to come to GCU via the transfer portal was considered a huge score for the Lopes. Darling should thrive in front of one of college basketball's most electric crowds with the rabid student section called the Havocs.
The New York Post reported in Aprilthat Darling was attracting NIL offers from other schools that reached seven figures. It's not clear what the financial offer was from GCU.
Darling averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists at St. John's.
At GCU, he'll be asked to do more for a team that has nine newcomers.
"They envision me playing, being out there, being a factor," Darling said about GCU. "I just really wanted to play, have the ball in my hands, and play at a school where we're going to be competitive and be good.
"Being able to play in front of the environment that GCU has. Come back to the West Coast. Phoenix. It's hard to beat."
Darling played high school basketball in Washington state, where his dad, James, was a standout linebacker for the Washington State Cougars.
James Darling was a second-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles and played 10 years in the NFL, including parts of four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, 2003-06.
With Dylan Darling having the ball in his hands, it takes pressure off of returning guard Makaih Williams, who was counted on as the point guard the past two seasons. Williams entered the portal after last season, but decided to return to GCU.
"I love this team," said Williams, who has been battling an injury this summer but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season. "I think we have great camaraderie. They've been working hard the last two months. I can't wait to see them play in Canada."
The Lopes will take a tour of British Columbia, and play Mount Royal on Aug. 4 and Trinity Western on Aug. 6.
"We're excited for our team for the year," coach Bryce Drew said. "We have had some injuries this summer. So we won't have our full team in Canada. But it will be good to get some new guys some minutes together, minutes in our system, and just get familiar coaching them."
Darling was the biggest offseason get for the Lopes. His defensive abilities are as big as his playmaking and clutch shot-making abilities.
"He brings so much experience," Drew said. "We saw him in the NCAA Tournament make that great shot against Kansas. Throughout the year, he had really good games, specifically against UConn. So he's played against high-level competition and performed really well.
"I think his experience and the confidence he brings at the point guard position will help other guys on our team."
Drew said he wanted to address physicality and toughness in the portal. He also wanted to make sure he brought in players who would get along and create good chemistry.
The Lopes welcomed 6-foot-10, 220-pound senior Tyler Behrend, the oldest player on the team at 25. Behrend, who played at 1A Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix, grew four inches after graduating from high school in 2018. He adds toughness. There could be situations where Behrend and 7-foot-1-inch sophomore Efe Demirel are on the court together.
"I do all of the little things, things that people don't really want to do," said Behrend, who started every game for NIT runner-up Tulsa last season. "I'm going to get on the rebounds. I like to pass. I'm getting guys looks. Kind of doing all of the dirty work."
Forwards Omaha Biliew (Iowa State, Wake Forest) and Amarion Dickerson (USC, Robert Morris) should also provide a boost to the frontcourt.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: St. John's NCAA Tournament star set to take major role at Grand Canyon
