And very early in life, Roman Eduardo Martinez showed he had both.

The grandson of a Mexican basketball star, Martinez was just a little dribbler - literally - when his father noticed something special about the lad.

"When I was in my early 40s, I was playing in city leagues," says dad Eddie Martinez, a former Los Alamos High basketball player. "I'd take Ro with me, and, by the time he was 2 years old, he was already able to dribble, and not just a small ball, but a real ball. It caught me how much dexterity he showed.

"By the time he was 4 or 5, he would come to my games and comment on things he saw ... by the last quarter, he was always focused on my game, observing, trying to learn about it."

That quest for hoops knowledge has paid off for the 6-foot, 6-inch El Paso native and the lone senior on this year's University of New Mexico basketball team.

He is a key player on the court - likely to become the school's 14th player with 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds - and off of it.

"He's a 3.5 student, he's going to graduate on time, he's awesome in the community," says third-year coach Steve Alford.

In fact, Martinez, a kid who admittedly isn't exactly Michael Jordan athletically or Albert Einstein intellectually, has become one of the premier student-athletes in the Mountain West Conference.

"It's a credit to my parents," says Martinez, trying to deflect accolades. "I was always taught, even before middle school, that I had to get my homework done before I could do anything else. So, by the time I got to college, it was natural. My whole family is like that.

"On the court, it's important to worry about all the things involved with the game. But basketball can only take you so far ... So I take everything I do as being important."

School first

Despite his drive to succeed, it's hard to catch the southpaw forward without a smile on his face. Martinez is a rare blend of exuberance, personality and humility, and has been one of the Lobos' vocal leaders throughout his career.

"Every year, he's gotten better," Alford says. "He's a great teammate, and if you ask his teammates who they like playing with the most, they will all say 'Ro.' ... It's hard to put into words how valuable he is to us, because there are so many areas he's valuable in."

UNM sophomore guard Nate Garth did put it into words quite nicely.

"Ro is special," Garth says. "He's a leader on and off the court and somebody you look up to as an example in the classroom and around campus. He's like a big brother to all of us, and will always extend his hand to you. He just does everything the right way."

Martinez averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds a game while shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range last season. He was named honorable mention all-conference.

This season, Martinez could be among the league leaders in at least a half-dozen statistical categories - and that doesn't count floor burns, no-look passes or energy boosts he gives to his teammates.

In the classroom, Martinez's grades have landed him Academic All-MWC honors three years running, and he is a strong candidate to become an Academic All-American this go-around.

"Academics come first, that's how it's always been," says Martinez's mother, Pam, who is a loan officer in El Paso. "I used basketball as my tool for all the boys. I knew they all loved it, but I wouldn't let them play unless they did well in school."

The 21-year-old Martinez has two brothers and two sisters. He is the second oldest of the five children.

Father Eddie, a sales consultant for Cadillac Hummer in El Paso - "Yep, I'm the dreaded car salesman," he laughs - says that basketball might have come naturally to Martinez, but books were another story.

"He has always been such a great source of pride for us because of his work ethic," Eddie says. "I've never had to push him. He's a great observer, makes smart decisions and always wants to do better.

"But he's not a kid with a photographic memory, like some of my other kids. Both Monica and Omar have a gift of recall. But Roman has just had to work that much harder to become the great student he is."

Hoops roots

Martinez picked up the game early and was always tall for his age. But he's far from the most athletically gifted player in the MWC.

"I did have that dunk," he says with a grin about his slam last season, the only one of his career.

Still, while hops aren't his thing, stops are.

Martinez's active hands and feet - and heady play - make him a nightmare for opposing players.

"He's so versatile, has such great vision and is so good at reading screens," says Utah coach Jim Boylen. "He's a very difficult matchup. He fits great into Steve (Alford's) system, and he plays a lot like Steve did. I love the guy - I just wish he weren't at New Mexico."

Alford, a former All-American at Indiana and NBA player, says "Ro's just got a great basketball IQ. He's always in the right place at all times."

Some of those instincts could be genetic.

Martinez's grandfather, Francisco Martinez, was a hoops star for New Mexico State and played professionally in his native Mexico. He led that country to the bronze medal in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Kiko, as he was known, passed away when Roman was a youngster.

"They say talent sometimes skips a generation, and that's what happened to me," Eddie Martinez says with a laugh. "It went from my dad to Ro."

Roman's Mexican roots make him even more of a fan-favorite around these parts. He says he takes pride in that.

"Coming from El Paso and having a strong Hispanic heritage, I definitely think it helps me relate to a lot of fans," he says.

Few fans can't relate to Martinez, who spends a great deal of time working with kids.

This summer, both Martinez and UNM junior Dairese Gary were in a mentorship program in which they worked with various community centers. Even during the season, Martinez tries to find time to visit the centers to play a little hoop with the youngsters, or work with other community projects. He also enjoys visiting the UNM Children's Hospital.

After games, Martinez is a popular figure with the pen who never turns down an autograph request.

"Oh, man, that's a special feeling," he says. "It brings back so many memories for me as a kid, the way I looked up to UTEP guys. It meant the world to me just getting to meet them.

"I'm just trying to give back. It's strange for me that someone wants my autograph. But I know how much that means to kids and I love doing it."

Lifetime memories

Looking to this season, Alford says an NCAA Tournament bid would be the ultimate prize for this year's team. And if that happens, Alford admits he would get an extra rush from seeing Martinez go out on top.

"I've often apologized to Roman, not that it's our fault, but that he's the lone senior on the team this year," says Alford, who took over for ousted coach Ritchie McKay in the spring of 2007. "I wish he had more help in the experience category, but it's going to be a good test for him.

"For a kid who's done everything, maybe the one thing he hasn't done is be the leader of a team. Now he has the opportunity to do that. And guys like him, you know that any success they get is warranted."

Both Eddie and Pam say they plan to be around for every step of the path - in Albuquerque and on the road. The proud parents are going to try to attend every one of their son's senior-season games.

"We missed a few games last year, but not this year," Pam says. "When I see Roman - the way he plays, the way he deals with people, the fans who come up to him - it's just unbelievable. To me, he's just my son. And what other people don't see, is that he's just as humble as he's always been. He doesn't feel he deserves anything special.

"It's going to be sad to see it all end. But I'm going to enjoy this season for a lifetime."

Tip it up

The University of New Mexico men's basketball team officially begins its season on Saturday in the Pit against UC Riverside. On Friday, the Journal will have a special wrap-around that features both the men's and women's upcoming Lobo campaigns.