Getting his wish
Martin eager to experience UConn Nation
STORRS — The lure was tangible for Tyrese Martin as he crossed state lines and transferred from Rhode Island to UConn last year.
The next level of basketball, big crowds and bright lights, competing for and against elite programs.
But as he prepares for his second season as a Husky, Martin is still longing for an authentic UConn experience. The pandemic season was nothing like Martin imagined when he decided to join Dan Hurley at UConn.
He was robbed of the UConn experience.
“Yeah, you could say robbed,” Martin said. “COVID robbed me. Yeah, COVID robbed me. It just wasn’t just me, though, it was the team. Everybody across the country, COVID robbed.
“But it definitely wasn’t the season I wanted.”
What will fans at Gampel Pavilion and the XL Center see when they get their glimpse of Martin this season? He hopes it will be a more productive player, a facilitator and scorer who will fill the gap created by James Bouknight’s departure.
That would be an ideal scenario for Hurley, who recruited Martin to URI from Allentown, Pennsylvania four years ago.
Martin started 21 of the 22 games in which he appeared last season, averaging 10.3 points. It
was a season of highs and lows — he followed a 22-point performance against DePaul with a scoreless night at Marquette early in the Big East portion of the schedule.
With Bouknight out for eight games with an injury, Martin averaged 14.5 points and produced 20 points in a win over Butler. Yet in the final two games of the season — a loss to Creighton in the Big East tournament, a loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament — Martin scored four points and missed 15 of 17 shots.
Which player will we see this year?
Hard to say, because Martin may be occupying a different role and a different spot on the floor. Martin, 6-foot-6, was used as more of a wing player last year, creating space for Bouknight to operate.
With Bouknight (18.7 points) gone, UConn will have alter its offense. The theme echoed by Hurley and his players: Bouknight’s production won’t be replaced by one player. R.J. Cole (12.2 points) may see his average rise. Martin figures to score more. It’s expected sophomore guard Andre Jackson could take a leap forward.
But here’s what we know: Martin has been playing more of a traditional guard role this summer. That could mean more shots, but Martin said that it will minimally result in more ball-handling.
“When you draw two, make that extra pass,” he said. “Being aggressive with your shots, you know, things like that.”
Martin said he has always been more comfortable playing guard but UConn’s roster warranted a different role last year. It’s logical, then, that Martin would have his hands on the ball more now that Bouknight is gone.
But he does not view himself as the heir apparent to Bouknight’s nightly production. It will take more than one man to replace the soon-to-be NBA player.
“Just everybody being aggressive,” Martin said. “We had a stretch without James last year, we had to just figure it out in a short period of time. But I feel like now we have way more time to figure it out.
“Everybody’s picking their spots, being aggressive. Playing faster up and down. We have a lot of depth again this year so I feel like we’re gonna be just fine.”
Martin averaged a team-best 7.5 rebounds last season, and his length and athleticism was an asset on defense.
This year? “Show more guard skill on the court,” he said.
That’s the player Hurley recruited to Rhode Island. Martin was a standout at William Allen High in Allentown before playing a season at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia.
But he never received much recruiting love beyond mid-majors — Quinnipiac and Central Connecticut were contenders — before signing with URI. Hurley recruited Martin, but he left for UConn before ever coaching him.
Martin said he decided to keep his commitment to URI after Hurley left. When the pandemic ended the 2019-20 season, Martin returned to Allentown and worked in a warehouse to help support his family as he contemplated his next home.
He entered the transfer portal and that April, he announced he was coming to UConn.
“Definitely Hurley was one of the reasons I first committed to Rhode Island and .. he wanted me (last year),” Martin said. “I’m glad to be playing for a guy I can learn so much from, who can make me better.”
The other reason he chose UConn, of course, was the prospect of playing before a passionate fan base. He’s eager to introduce himself to the masses.
“Looking forward to seeing what UConn Nation is,” Martin said. “Without the fans last year it was rough, just going out there every day having only about 20 people in the crowd. But now you go out there and there’s going to be filled up seats. The fans are excited but we’re even more excited to play in front of them.”