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Drew adds three to fill out GCU men’s hoops staff

Posted 4/1/20

New Grand Canyon men’s basketball head coach Bryce Drew announced the addition of three assistant coaches, each with coaching experience at the Power Five level.

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Drew adds three to fill out GCU men’s hoops staff

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New Grand Canyon men’s basketball head coach Bryce Drew announced the addition of three assistant coaches, each with coaching experience at the Power Five level.

Mr. Drew officially welcomed Jamall Walker, Ed Schilling and Casey Shaw to his staff Wednesday, April 1.

“I am extremely excited about the staff that is coming to GCU,” he said in a prepared statement. “They are great basketball minds who bring a wealth of basketball experiences to our program. All three coaches are also tremendous fits for the GCU community.”

Mr. Walker was part of the Illinois staff, where he spent the last eight seasons under head coaches John Groce and Brad Underwood. During the transition from Groce to Underwood, Walker served as the Illini interim head coach for the 2017 NIT, picking up a pair of wins.

He most recently served as an assistant to the head coach and defensive coordinator. Illinois went 21-10 in 2019-20 and was a projected NCAA tournament team.

“I am so excited to be joining Bryce Drew’s staff and the GCU community,” Mr. Walker said in a prepared statement.

“Coach Drew is committed to not only developing great basketball players but also helping them to strengthen in their faith and grow into young leaders. These are core values that I strongly believe in. I look forward to building a program with him and the rest of the staff.”

Prior to his stint in Illinois, Mr. Walker was an assistant coach at Ball State for two seasons and Ohio for three seasons. He also spent a year as the director of basketball operations for Sean Miller at Arizona.

He was a four-year guard at St. Louis, leading the Billikens to an NCAA tournament appearance in 1998.

“Jamall brings many years of Big Ten experience with him to GCU,” Mr. Drew said.

“Through his years as a player and coach, he has developed a great feel for the defensive end of the court. Recruiting has always been one of his strengths as he has signed many high-level players in the last few years.”

Mr. Schilling comes to GCU from UCLA and Indiana. He was on the Indiana’s staff for two seasons under Archie Miller, helping lead Indiana to an appearance in the NIT quarterfinals in the second year.

Mr. Schilling also worked alongside Steve Alford at UCLA for four years, a stretch when the Bruins went 96-45 and made three Sweet Sixteen appearances.

“To join Coach Drew at GCU is a tremendous opportunity,” Mr. Schilling said in a prepared statement.

“His experience in playing and coaching in the NCAA tournament is fantastic. But even more exciting to me is the character that he possesses. His ability to relate to his players and sincerely care about them is second to none.”

A Lebanon, Indiana native, Mr. Schilling spent 15 seasons on a Division I bench with a six-year stint as Wright State head coach. He teamed with John Calipari for four seasons at three stops: UMass, the New Jersey Nets and Memphis. His first collegiate coaching season resulted in UMass posting a 35-2 record and making a Final Four appearance.

After four years as the starting point guard at Miami (Ohio), Mr. Schilling still holds single-game (17) and career (629) assist records for the RedHawks. His teams made NCAA tournament appearances twice, narrowly missing overtime upsets over Maryland and Iowa State.

“Ed has a very decorated history in basketball, from working alongside John Calipari to helping UCLA make three Sweet Sixteens,” Mr. Drew said. “Player development is where Ed really excels in having trained 60 NBA players. His expertise in development will be a huge asset for our players.”

Mr. Shaw coached alongside Mr. Drew for three years at Vanderbilt after a successful extended playing career. With a 6-foot-10 frame, Mr. Shaw helped develop Vandy’s post players.

“I could not be more excited to be joining Coach Drew and the Lopes men’s basketball program,” Mr. Shaw said in a prepared statement.

“GCU offers an incredibly attractive opportunity for prospective student-athletes. From the degree variety to the student support and atmosphere — GCU is a basketball sleeping giant. And on top of that, I love the faith-based mission of the school, and I am thrilled to be able to jump on board with what the Lord is doing in and through GCU.”

He was a four-year standout at Toledo and joined the NBA as a second-round draft pick in the 1998 NBA Draft to the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent his rookie season with the 76ers in 1998-99 before transitioning to a long-term pro career internationally. In sum, he played 13 seasons professionally spanning from the NBA to Italy to Spain.

“Coming from the SEC, Casey has recruited at a very high level, as he signed Vanderbilt’s first ever McDonald’s All-American and assisted on signing four other top-70 ranked players,” Mr. Drew said.

“Being a former professional player, Casey has a unique ability to relate to student-athletes while also specializing in the development of big men.”