Busting Brackets
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Grand Canyon Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Antelopes

By Jason Burgess

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Grand Canyon Lopes fans cheer during the team's semifinal game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament against the Utah Valley Wolverines at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. GCU won 75-60. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Grand Canyon Lopes fans cheer during the team's semifinal game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament against the Utah Valley Wolverines at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. GCU won 75-60. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 22: Michael Finke
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 22: Michael Finke /

A deeper bench for Grand Canyon

While the Antelopes relied heavily on the starting lineup last season, in 2018-19 Majerle may be able to rest his starters more with a more dependable bench. Returning players coming off the bench for the Lopes should be guard Gerard Martin as well as forwards Roberts Blumbergs and Matt Jackson.

Martin is a lengthy 6-7 guard who joined GCU from Australia that saw action in all 34 games last season. Despite averaging just 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game, his 97 rebounds last season are the 4th most of anyone returning this season. Blumbergs is a 6-10 sophomore from Latvia who had a productive first season in limited minutes. Appearing in 33 games, he averaged five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action.

Finally, Jackson, like Martin hails from Australia and the 6-8 230lb. redshirt senior had seen his minutes and production increase over his first two seasons, averaging six points and 3.5 rebounds as a sophomore. He lost his junior season to injury but returned last season averaging three points and 2.8 rebounds.

A couple of graduate transfers and a heralded freshman are likely to see rotational minutes. The program’s most heralded recruit, Tim Finke. Finke is a 6-6 shooting guard from Illinois who was rated as a top-150 recruit in the country and was rated as a top-40 shooting guard. He averaged over 19 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists as a junior for Champaign Central. The graduate transfers are Michael Finke, brother of freshman Tim, and Trey Drechsel. Finke joins the Antelopes after playing three seasons for Illinois where he made 25 starts. The 6-10 Finke averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field last season for the Illini. Drechsel is a 6-6 guard who played last season at Western Washington University where he started all 29 games averaging 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.