Marion's Jalen Blackmon signed with Grand Canyon University this week. It was a great pull by Bryce Drew and his staff.

Prior to committing to Grand Canyon, Blackmon had offers from Houston, St. Louis, Tulane, Ball State, Miami of Ohio, and others. He played a limited schedule over the summer, but Blackmon played at a high level. There aren't many players around the country with his shooting ability. During that time, he also proved that his athleticism was completely back. Because of those things, Blackmon could have seen his recruitment tick up this high school season. Instead, he committed to the WAC school.

Before tearing his ACL last season, Blackmon had a chance to become Indiana's all-time leading scorer. Through his first 62 games, Blackmon has averaged 25.2 points per game. He has incredibly deep range off the dribble and is automatic from the free throw line. His pull-up ability is something that college and NBA teams are utilizing more each year. That will be a great weapon for Blackmon at Grand Canyon.

There are similarities between Blackmon and Drew. Coming out of Valpraiso High School, Drew chose the low-major route despite having high-major offers. Drew played in a revolutionary system under VHS's Bob Punter. The 1994 state finalist team with Drew and Tim Bishop shot threes like the Golden State Warriors. The duo had a green light from anywhere on the court, and they let it fly. As a coach, Drew has recruited good shooters, but they haven't emphasized taking threes more than the average college team. 

Blackmon has the potential to be a special player in the WAC as Grand Canyon tries to make its first NCAA Tournament.