Grand Canyon missed 14 free throws and only had 5 assists in the loss
Charles Barkley didn’t mince words when he spoke about how Grand Canyon played against Alabama in the Antelopes’ loss in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
Alabama won the game 72-61 to advance to the Sweet 16 against North Carolina. Grand Canyon upset Saint Mary’s to make it to the round of 32, but their hopes of having a Cinderella run fell short.
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Charles Barkley during Capital One's The Match IX on Feb. 26, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images for The Match)
Barkley didn’t appear to be impressed with how the Antelopes played against the Crimson Tide.
"Grand Canyon, that was the dumbest game of basketball I think I may have ever seen," he said on the postgame broadcast. "Everyone went 1-on-1. They missed how many free throws?… I’m not sure what they were doing offensively. I don’t think they ran a play the entire second half.
"That was some of the dumbest basketball I’ve ever seen (from) grown college men.… That was some of the worst basketball decisions that you’re ever gonna see a college team make out there."
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Lok Wur of the Grand Canyon Antelopes blocks a shot against Sam Walters of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 24, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Barkley’s co-analsyt Clark Kellogg said he was even "befuddled" by the decision-making.
"They just went 1-on-1 every single time. They didn’t run any plays," Barkley added.
Grand Canyon finished 32.1% from the floor and was 23-for-37 at the foul line. They missed 14 foul shots and lost by 11 points. The Antelopes only tallied five assists the entire game.
Grand Canyon coach Bryce Drew added that the rebound game hurt the team as well. Alabama had 20 offensive rebounds to the Antelopes’ 15.
Grand Canyon Antelopes fans hold signs during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against Alabama Crimson Tide on March 24, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
"The offensive rebounds were the most, probably the biggest difference in the game, even despite our shooting," he said. "If we rebound, I think the last five minutes goes different."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
