Introduction
Tyrese Jeffrey Martin (born March 7, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Rhode Island Rams and the UConn Huskies.
High school career
Martin played basketball for William Allen High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania. As a senior, he averaged 21.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Martin was named Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) MVP, and led his team to its first EPC title since 2006.
He played a postgraduate season at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia to gain more exposure from college programs. In 2017, he committed to playing college basketball for Rhode Island over offers from Minnesota, Utah and Seton Hall, among others.
College career
As a freshman at Rhode Island, Martin averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. On February 26, 2020, he posted season-highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds in a 76–75 win against Fordham. Martin averaged 12.8 points and 7 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
For his junior season, he transferred to UConn to play under head coach Dan Hurley, who had recruited him to Rhode Island. During the offseason, he worked a full-time job at a warehouse in Allentown after his mother was laid off from her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin was granted a waiver from the NCAA for immediate eligibility at UConn. However, he was suspended by the NCAA for the season opener against Central Connecticut for playing in an unsanctioned summer league game. As a junior, Martin averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. On December 1, 2021, he was ruled out after spraining his wrist several games previously. On December 21, 2021, Martin scored a career-high 25 points and passed the 1,000 point mark in a 78–70 win over Marquette.
On March 22, 2022, Martin declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Professional career
Atlanta Hawks (2022–2023)
Martin was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Atlanta Hawks. On July 16, 2022, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Hawks playing 16 games and averaging 1.3 points in 4.1 minutes while playing 30 games with the College Park Skyhawks and averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 33.0 minutes. On July 21, 2023, he was waived by the Hawks.
Career statistics
NBA
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Atlanta | 16 | 0 | 4.1 | .391 | .143 | 1.000 | .8 | .1 | .1 | .0 | 1.3 |
| Career | 16 | 0 | 4.1 | .391 | .143 | 1.000 | .8 | .1 | .1 | .0 | 1.3 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Rhode Island | 33 | 19 | 27.0 | .418 | .311 | .648 | 5.2 | 1.0 | .8 | .3 | 8.1 |
| 2019–20 | Rhode Island | 30 | 30 | 34.2 | .433 | .321 | .662 | 7.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | .3 | 12.8 |
| 2020–21 | UConn | 22 | 21 | 30.1 | .440 | .320 | .672 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .5 | 10.3 |
| 2021–22 | UConn | 29 | 29 | 32.1 | .449 | .430 | .689 | 7.5 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | 13.6 |
| Career | 114 | 99 | 30.8 | .435 | .346 | .670 | 6.7 | 1.3 | .9 | .4 | 11.1 | |