Insider: Martin's bench role helps him, Lopes

Grand Canyon takes the nation's longest active Division I men's basketball winning streak into tonight's home game against Little Rock.

It might not be much of a coincidence that the streak started when Gerard Martin moved to and embraced a bench role. The Lopes have a nine-game winning streak since that move, which has Martin captaining a second unit that gives the GCU starters fits in practices.

It benefited Martin too. Statistics do not quantify all of the ways in which Martin affects games with his vocal leadership and reliable energy but he is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range in those nine wins.

"I started playing better in that role," Martin said. "It gives me a chance to sit back and see how the game's going to play out. I read the scout in terms of how they're going to play and defend us. It allows me to come in and understand that. My role is the same – bring energy, play defense, be a leader for the younger guys, knock down open shots, get a couple steals, be an energy guy, take charges. The little things go a long way."

In Monday's win against Robert Morris, Martin took two charges in the first half to help carry a 26-5 GCU run.

"That's what Gerard does," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "We have a group that comes in there and plays really hard defensively when I sub them in. I can switch them out of things. They get after guys. They're disruptive."

Martin, a redshirt junior, is so in tune with the playbook and personnel that he recently drew up the winning, buzzer-beating shot for teammate Matt Jackson in a practice scrimmage.

"I've been around so long and know the system so it helps to adjust and learn how to play against these bigger, better teams," Martin said.

When he was starting, Martin was a 6-foot-7 power forward alongside 6-6 Keonta Vernon at center last season. Now, the starting lineup includes 6-10 Roberts Blumbergs and Martin can play on the wing with 6-10 Alessandro Lever, 6-9 Kerwin Smith and 6-8 Jackson off the bench.

That length will help tonight against a Little Rock team that has more size than Robert Morris brought Monday but starts a three-guard lineup. Little Rock, with 11 newcomers, led Memphis by 14 points on Tuesday before losing 70-62 to fall to 0-2.

The Lopes have held their first two opponents to less than 40 percent shooting. The team is taking on a defensive personality that fits Martin, a Western Athletic Conference All-Defensive Team honoree last season.

"With the athletes we have and how long we are, being able to switch, deny, use our length and quickness, that's what has definitely improved," Martin said. "We're starting to play more aggressive on the defense end. We just want to disrupt the offense. That's a credit to Coach (Todd) Lee and Coach Majerle emphasizing defense and being aggressive with switches. Not being passive. We want to dictate what they want to do."

Tonight's game is part of the Grand Canyon Classic, which involves five teams playing a round-robin series of games at GCU, San Diego and Little Rock. Robert Morris, Little Rock, Norfolk State and San Diego have played or will play at GCU.

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

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Players Mentioned

Roberts Blumbergs

Matt Jackson

Alessandro Lever

Gerard Martin

Kerwin Smith

Keonta Vernon

Grand Canyon University Athletics