Carlos Johnson had already left Phoenix Shadow Mountain when Jovan Blacksher Jr., began high school.

But Grand Canyon’s senior guard remembered the little kid with the feisty court demeanor playing on Mike Bibby’s club teams.

“I’ve seen him his whole life,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of crazy because I always wanted to play with him. But I was older and I never got to play with him, besides pick-up and open gyms.

“Just watching him grow and become the player he is now, it’s amazing. It’s more amazing now that I get to play with him for my last season. He’s a winner.”

GCU is winless  to start the 2019-20 season, but the Antelopes can break through Saturday night at home at 6 against Arkansas Pine Bluff, which is coming off 29- and 50-point losses to South Florida and Gonzaga to open the season.

Blacksher has held up to the hype surrounding him coming out of high school in his first three college games.

He became first freshman to score in double figures in each of his first three games since Grand Canyon moved into NCAA Division I seven years ago.

The 5-foot-11 Blacksher is averaging 14.3 points, five rebounds and 2.7 assists. He is coming off his first college double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

With this being coach Dan Majerle’s smallest team and having a thin bench until the semester ends when 6-7 wing Oscar Frayer and guard Mikey Dixon become eligible, the seventh-year coach is asking the guards to attack the glass for rebounds.

Blacksher has never hesitated sticking his nose in the lane.

Blacksher is a big part of The Trio — three former Shadow Mountain players logging important minutes.

Forward J.J. Rhymes, who did play one season with Blacksher in high school, is GCU’s sixth man, gradually showing what made him an enforcer during Shadow Mountain’s basketball dynasty that began with Johnson, Rhymes and Michael Bibby (Mike’s son) leading the Matadors to a state championship when they were sophomores.

Johnson left Shadow Mountain after his sophomore year, moving to the Bay Area. He spent his senior season playing on Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep’s national high school team. One of his senior-year games was against Blacksher, then a freshman, a game the Matadors led much of the way, before Findlay Prep pulled out a 66-63 win.

Markus Howard, now Marquette’s all-time leading scorer, was the star of that Findlay Prep team.

“Carlos I’ve known for many years, playing with Team Bibby,” Blacksher said. “It’s good. We’re like brothers. We’ve got a good relationship.”

Rhymes won a state championship with Blacksher and Arizona State freshman guard Jaelen House when those two were freshmen and Rymes and Michael Bibby were seniors.

“He’s turned into a man,” Rhymes said of Blacksher. “You can see that.”

GCU landing Blacksher was considered a steal last year when he signed with the Antelopes the same day House signed with ASU, where his father Eddie House is in the school’s record book.

Majerle knew the first month of the season would be difficult, mainly because he lost two players he was counting on — Frayer and TCU transfer guard Jaylen Fisher. Neither received waivers clearance from the NCAA. Fisher could be out for the season. Frayer is expected back in December.

For now, Rhymes is the only player off the bench providing quality minutes.

Blacksher played all but one minute in Wednesday’s 86-61 loss at San Diego State. He had no turnovers and two assists.

Blacksher, Lorenzo Jenkins, Isiah Brown and Johnson all played at least 35 minutes. Alessandro Lever, GCU’s biggest player at 6-foot-10, has struggled the last two games, fouling out against Illinois and San Diego State. He made only one basket against SDSU.

How much will these guys hold up with GCU playing five games over the next nine days, spending Nov. 22-25 in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam?

“We’ve got to keep getting better,” Majerle said.

Blacksher has been a bright spot, but no surprise to Majerle, who watched him play at Shadow Mountain.

“There’s a lot of pressure on him as a freshman to run the program,” Majerle said. “He’s playing well. I’m happy for Jovan.”

Majerle knows with time Rhymes will develop into a big impact guy around the rim.

Rhymes is more of an outside-inside guy at 6-4, but with small lineups he is asked to play the power forwards spot at times, crashing the boards, looking for put-backs.

“He’s fine,” Majerle said. “He’s got to step it up. Everybody’s got to step it up.”

Blacksher feels he is just starting to get into a groove and expects improvements the rest of the season as more responsibilities fall his way.

Blacksher feels at home with Johnson and Rhymes around. He said he looked up to those guys growing up.

“They’re our older brothers, they were winning and we wanted to win,” Blacksher said.

The college wins, he knows, will come.

Some of that starts with him the more he becomes comfortable on the floor.

“I feel I need to work on my pace, my jump shot, all around,” he said. “My defense is pretty good. But I need to be more intense.”

Up next

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) at GCU (0-3), 6 p.m., Saturday: Arkansas-Pine Bluff is coming off a 110-60 loss at No. 8-ranked Gonzaga. GCU is coming off its worse loss of the year, an 86-61 setback at San Diego State. Freshman Jovan Blacksher Jr., had his first college double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds. He is averaging 14.3 points in his first three college game. GCU plays five games over the next nine days. GCU won the teams’ only meeting in 2016 at GCU Arena by 40 points.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.