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
Insider: Martin takes in last WAC
3/14/2019 1:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
More notes on Seattle-GCU, Lopes player trends, etc.
LAS VEGAS – Grand Canyon senior Gerard Martin circles the Orleans Arena court, shouts out direction, provides encouragement and puts up 3-point shots.
But that is the limit of Martin's ability to help at the WAC Tournament, the most anticipated event of his senior season until he suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.
This is Martin's new normal, putting him in the role of support staff for the coaching staff and his teammates as GCU (18-12) heads into a first-round tournament game against Seattle U (18-13) at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Martin has the most unique perspective to look at the Lopes' chances in the first round and tournament from all angles of the program.
"From last week's game (at Seattle), we came prepared as best as we can," Martin said as he watched Thursday's morning shootaround at Orleans Arena. "We've learned from our mistakes and what's going to cost us a game and what's going to win us a game. We've been preparing all week and I think the guys are ready. They've all been mentally locked in all week so it'll be good."
Martin already was forced to watch the last nine regular-season games but this event will be different because it is his final shot at a WAC championship and a NCAA tournament visit.
"It's hard no matter what but it is what it is," Martin said. "I've just got to keep trying to be positive for the guys and keep trying to make them focus on this game. I think it'll hit when they're playing and I have to be sitting there on the sideline. We've got much more important things to get done to win the game."
Lope tracks
But that is the limit of Martin's ability to help at the WAC Tournament, the most anticipated event of his senior season until he suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.
This is Martin's new normal, putting him in the role of support staff for the coaching staff and his teammates as GCU (18-12) heads into a first-round tournament game against Seattle U (18-13) at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Martin has the most unique perspective to look at the Lopes' chances in the first round and tournament from all angles of the program.
"From last week's game (at Seattle), we came prepared as best as we can," Martin said as he watched Thursday's morning shootaround at Orleans Arena. "We've learned from our mistakes and what's going to cost us a game and what's going to win us a game. We've been preparing all week and I think the guys are ready. They've all been mentally locked in all week so it'll be good."
Martin already was forced to watch the last nine regular-season games but this event will be different because it is his final shot at a WAC championship and a NCAA tournament visit.
"It's hard no matter what but it is what it is," Martin said. "I've just got to keep trying to be positive for the guys and keep trying to make them focus on this game. I think it'll hit when they're playing and I have to be sitting there on the sideline. We've got much more important things to get done to win the game."
Lope tracks
- GCU held a six-game winning streak against Seattle until the overtime loss at Seattle on Saturday.
- The Lopes' 39.7 percent shooting on Saturday snapped a streak of 16 consecutive games in which GCU made more than 40 percent of their shots.
- Seattle's turnover total of eight Saturday marked the second-lowest mark for a GCU opponent this season. Kansas City made four in another Lopes overtime road loss on Feb. 14.
- There is little disparity between GCU's 3-point shooting in wins (33.9 percent) and losses (31.7) this season but there is a more telling difference in opponent 3-point shooting between Lopes wins (30.8) and losses (39.1).
- GCU junior guard Carlos Johnson shot 16.7 percent (6 for 36) from 3-point range over the first 16 games of the season and 37.8 percent (14 for 37) over the past 14 games. He has 22 double-digit scoring games after recording eight in his first two college seasons at Washington.
- GCU sophomore point guard Damari Milstead has a 5.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio over the past six games. He posted a 1.5-to-1 ratio for the first 24 games this season.
- Moving to a reserve role has not changed Lopes senior guard Trey Drechsel's chances or production. In five games as a reserve, Drechsel has averaged 7.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game on 47 percent shooting. In 25 starts, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game on 43 percent shooting.
- The winner of the Seattle-GCU game will play in an 8:30 p.m. Friday semifinal at Orleans Arena against the winner of tonight's Utah Valley-Kansas City game.
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