March Madness hits GCU basketball team early after baggage crew forgets to load teams equipment on flight

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Grand Canyon University’s men’s basketball team was in for a surprise when they arrived in Denver for the NCAA’s March Madness. They found out their basketball gear wasn’t loaded onto their plane at Phoenix Sky Harbor.

“Portions of our baggage, including team practice gear and athletic equipment, was not loaded by the ground crew at the airport this morning,” a spokesperson for GCU said. The Lopes are in Denver for the first round of the March Madness tournament, where they will face off on Friday against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Some of the team bought shoes and other gear at an athletic store, the GCU spokesperson said, and Baylor University basketball coach Scott Drew offered to help his brother’s team out — Lopes basketball head coach Bryce Drew — for Wednesday’s practice.

How that practice will look should be interesting for the team with a mix of brand-new, unbroken-in gear from Baylor. However, 12 bags of gear are on their way to Denver right now with a GCU athletic equipment staff member, the GCU spokesperson said. So the team should be ready for Friday night’s game.

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