Grand Canyon Basketball gains transfer Traivar Jackson from Tarleton State

Traivar Jackson, who emerged in the WAC Tournament last season with Tarleton State, signed with Grand Canyon.

This will be the 6-foot-6 former Pima Community College forward’s final college basketball season.

“From the one week I’ve been here, I’ve loved it from the teammates to the lifts, to the skill workouts and even the food we got afterward,” Jackson said in a text message. “This program is treated almost like true professionals and they deserve it for what they’ve done.”

GCU reached the NCAA tournament in three of the four years coach Bryce Drew last led the program. Last season, the Lopes won their first NCAA Tournament game, defeating Saint Mary’s College in the first round of the West Regional.

Jackson, who is from Anchorage, Alaska, averaged 18.9 points and was a two-time National Junior College All-American before transferring to Tarleton State last year.

His role improved late last season when he had three consecutive double-digit scoring games in the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.

Counting the CollegeInsider.com tournament and the conference tournament, he had three consecutive double-digit scoring games, averaging 10.2 points, three rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 18.4 minutes, while making 73% of his field goals. field.

Tarleton State lost in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament.

“I wanted to come here to get better first and foremost and get new vibes, like teammates and new location, coaches and everything,” Jackson said. “I feel like I fit in really well because this team and program loves to work hard and I feel like I do that and I can be a part of something big this year.”

He played in all 32 games last season for Tarleton, scoring a total of 129 points, grabbing 79 rebounds and blocking 23 shots. He shot 58% from the field. He ranked in the top 20 in the WAC in blocked shots and field goal percentage (for those with at least 100 attempts).

Last week, the Lopes received news that WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster, with 20 points per game during a 30-win NCAA tournament season, was returning after opting out of the NBA draft.

Along with 6-foot-2 Grant-Foster, the Lopes return starters Collin Moore, Ray Harrison and Duke Brennan. They also return sixth man Lok Wur, a 6-9 forward who came on in the second half of last season.

In addition to Jackson coming through the portal, the Lopes also signed 6-2 guard Makaih Williams, who was the WAC Freshman of the Year out of UT Arlington last year.

GCU also features 6-8 forward JaKobe Coles (TCU) and 7-1 center Dennis Evans (Louisville).

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This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon Basketball Transfers from Tarleton State