Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Injury ends Martin's GCU career
2/7/2019 10:55:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes leader suffers 'gut-wrenching' ACL tear in practice
Grand Canyon senior Gerard Martin suffered a season-ending knee injury this week, devastating Martin with an abrupt, unfair conclusion to his GCU career and dealing a blow to the Lope Nation that adores him and the Lopes team that relies on his leadership and elite defense.
Martin was pivoting on a normal offensive move in practice when his right knee buckled, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus for an injury that will require the same surgery he had on left right knee when he redshirted for the 2014-15 Lopes season. As he sat on the athletic trainer's table being examined, Martin was overcome by the emotions of knowing he would miss playing on Senior Night and in the WAC Tournament and possibly GCU's first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament.
"It was gut-wrenching," Martin said. "I was shocked. I still don't believe it has happened. It's crazy to think that something like this would happen this late in my career, this late in the season.
"I knew right away. The most daunting thing about this is not being able to play with these guys anymore. I don't care about the injury at all. It's just not being able to experience this last couple months of playing with these guys, especially with the way we have been playing. We still have a special team. There are no words to describe the feeling, but you have to keep smiling."
Martin's averages of 3.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game do not begin to tell the impact the Australian has on the team. He moved into a starting role in the past two road games, which increased the team's winning streak to five games and kept the Lopes in a first-place WAC tie. He is an elite, versatile defensive player who has been a stopper for players such as WAC leading scorer Miles Acquaah, the California Baptist standout who went 4 for 14 from the field with six turnovers in a loss to GCU two weeks ago.
Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said Martin has been the best defender in the WAC for the past three seasons.
"It's absolutely heartbreaking on many levels," Majerle said of Martin's injury. "On the first level, for him. He came here with very little hope of playing in a tournament because of the process we were in and bought in any way. He went through one knee surgery and worked his butt off. He's the ultimate team guy. He was playing his best basketball of his career. He's the main reason we're at where we're at right now. For him to go down just isn't fair.
"I feel terrible for him and it hurts our team. He is the glue guy to our team. He's the heart and soul. You look at the stats and they don't begin to quantify how good he is and what he does for our team defensive-wise, attitude-wise and culture-wise. It's a big blow so we're going to have to have guys step up and take over. It's a hard one for everybody because they all know how much Gerard means to our team."
The Lopes will turn to junior swingman Oscar Frayer even more to be a defensive leader and will expand roles for freshman guard Tim Finke and sophomore power forward Roberts Blumbergs.
Martin was coming off a five-steal game Saturday in the win at CSU Bakersfield, where he also had the third dunk of his career and blocked a shot at the rim. He also leads the conference in 3-point percentage during WAC play at 61.5.
"I was probably playing the best basketball of my life," Martin said. "I've been doing everything well. Playing for the team. Shooting it well. Feeling really healthy. (Stuff) happens in life."
The injury has helped Martin decide on pursuing a professional basketball career in Australia because he does not want to stop playing because of an injury. In the meantime, Martin will move to a role of coaching and support from the bench of every game and sideline of every practice.
"I'll be here for the guys, just smiling, being myself, talking to the guys to help in any way I can off the court, especially defensively and be a calm voice for the guys," Martin said. "At this point of the season, it gets pretty hectic with the pressure. I'll cheer the guys on. That's all I can do."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Martin was pivoting on a normal offensive move in practice when his right knee buckled, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus for an injury that will require the same surgery he had on left right knee when he redshirted for the 2014-15 Lopes season. As he sat on the athletic trainer's table being examined, Martin was overcome by the emotions of knowing he would miss playing on Senior Night and in the WAC Tournament and possibly GCU's first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament.
"It was gut-wrenching," Martin said. "I was shocked. I still don't believe it has happened. It's crazy to think that something like this would happen this late in my career, this late in the season.
"I knew right away. The most daunting thing about this is not being able to play with these guys anymore. I don't care about the injury at all. It's just not being able to experience this last couple months of playing with these guys, especially with the way we have been playing. We still have a special team. There are no words to describe the feeling, but you have to keep smiling."
Martin's averages of 3.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game do not begin to tell the impact the Australian has on the team. He moved into a starting role in the past two road games, which increased the team's winning streak to five games and kept the Lopes in a first-place WAC tie. He is an elite, versatile defensive player who has been a stopper for players such as WAC leading scorer Miles Acquaah, the California Baptist standout who went 4 for 14 from the field with six turnovers in a loss to GCU two weeks ago.
Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said Martin has been the best defender in the WAC for the past three seasons.
"It's absolutely heartbreaking on many levels," Majerle said of Martin's injury. "On the first level, for him. He came here with very little hope of playing in a tournament because of the process we were in and bought in any way. He went through one knee surgery and worked his butt off. He's the ultimate team guy. He was playing his best basketball of his career. He's the main reason we're at where we're at right now. For him to go down just isn't fair.
"I feel terrible for him and it hurts our team. He is the glue guy to our team. He's the heart and soul. You look at the stats and they don't begin to quantify how good he is and what he does for our team defensive-wise, attitude-wise and culture-wise. It's a big blow so we're going to have to have guys step up and take over. It's a hard one for everybody because they all know how much Gerard means to our team."
The Lopes will turn to junior swingman Oscar Frayer even more to be a defensive leader and will expand roles for freshman guard Tim Finke and sophomore power forward Roberts Blumbergs.
Martin was coming off a five-steal game Saturday in the win at CSU Bakersfield, where he also had the third dunk of his career and blocked a shot at the rim. He also leads the conference in 3-point percentage during WAC play at 61.5.
"I was probably playing the best basketball of my life," Martin said. "I've been doing everything well. Playing for the team. Shooting it well. Feeling really healthy. (Stuff) happens in life."
The injury has helped Martin decide on pursuing a professional basketball career in Australia because he does not want to stop playing because of an injury. In the meantime, Martin will move to a role of coaching and support from the bench of every game and sideline of every practice.
"I'll be here for the guys, just smiling, being myself, talking to the guys to help in any way I can off the court, especially defensively and be a calm voice for the guys," Martin said. "At this point of the season, it gets pretty hectic with the pressure. I'll cheer the guys on. That's all I can do."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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