Say Canada, eh? Musketeers tap into the international market with Martin

Xavier basketball has secured a late commitment for the 2020 class that will put them Musketeers back in contention for a Big East Championship next season.

The Musketeers have signed online star Jason Martin to bolster their team. Martin is a 7-foot-2 point guard and center combo from Ontario, Canada.

An unknown commodity months ago, Martin came on the radar of college teams when highlights of half-court pull ups and LeBron-esque windmill dunks blew up on social media and YouTube.

“He fits the sharpshooter archetype and is a deep-range deadeye,” ESPN college basketball analyst Talmadge McGulager commented on the diamond-in-the-rough prospect. “He’s one to watch out for this fall.”

Martin prides himself on his diverse game — he can put up high point totals, create lanes for his teammates, take it to the hole over shorter opponents and clean the glass.

This is evidenced by his ludicrous 40.1 points per game, 7.4 assists per game, 18.6 rebounds per game and 4.0 blocks per game averages in little known Canadian fourth division high school basketball.

Martin has the skill set to be the best five-star prospect in years, yet surprisingly did not show up on either MaxPreps or ESPN’s official rankings as he flew well under the radar.

“You know, for us, we always want to make sure we play clean and cut turnovers, because the margin for error in this league is very small,” college basketball scout Matt Butler said. “I feel very confident that the coach will be willing to put the ball in Jason’s hands in key moments.”

Martin has the ability to change the fortune of this year’s Musketeers, who struggled to shoot the three-ball in crucial games. However, his shot selection has been criticized by 247, as he has a tendency to jack up ugly shots from way behind the arc.

According to 247, at his ceiling, Martin has the ability of a center modeling Dikembe Mutombo, and at his floor, recent NCAA star Tacko Fall. There is a lack of data to point to just how Martin could shape up as a point guard.

“He has all of the intangibles needed to help lead a team and play the game with a good IQ,” Butler noted.

The Xavier community is fascinated by the prospect of getting to watch Martin play later in 2020.

“I don’t even care about basketball, but he looks like a cool guy to me,” sophomore biology major Raven Cranley said. “I’m fascinated by the genetics of how he can be so tall, yet both of his parents are less than 5-foot-7.”

“I’ve seen him play before on 2K Park, he dominates the game. I can’t wait to see what he can do in the Big East,” senior sports management major Vincent Lamb said.

Students will be able to recognize Martin around campus by his flashy clothes. He is known for his odd fashion sense off the court, and rocks a mullet and headband look on the court.

Maybe he should have cracked opened an old copy of the Newswire to look at the Fall fashion guide, sheesh.

In any case, Martin is slated to be a valuable addition to the team, with some refinements to
his game, of course.