It has been quite a day for Bill Self and the University of Kansas men's basketball program. On Tuesday morning, a report surfaced saying Ochai Agbaji had removed his name from the NBA draft and would return to Kansas for his senior year. On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that Remy Martin would also remove his name from the NBA draft and, after transferring from Arizona State, had planned to make his way to Lawrence in the near future.
I'm still waiting for confirmation on Agbaji, but a source told me that Martin, the 6-foot-0, 175-pound guard from Chatsworth, Calif., has in fact removed his name from the NBA draft and will finish out his college career in Lawrence. To me, this is the biggest recruiting win of the off-season. Last season, Martin averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He shot 44.3 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from behind the arc, and 77.6 percent from the free-throw line.
During his final year at Arizona State, Martin couldn’t have performed much better on the hardwood. He scored 14 points or more 17 times, 20 or more points eight times, and 30 points or more four times. He dished out 8 assists or more seven times and never committed more than six turnovers in a single game. Also, we may not have yet seen the best that Martin has to offer on the hardwood. His entire career at ASU, he was forced to carry a majority of the load. He never had the type of roster that he's going to have at Kansas next season.
This backcourt at Kansas, without question, is absolutely loaded. I saw Jon Rothstein predict KU's starting five would consist of Remy Martin, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, Jalen Wilson, and David McCormack. If that's the case, just look at the talent that Self can bring off the bench each game. I can't imagine, at least by the end of the season, that there will be a team better prepared for the month of March.
Earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2019-20, averaged 19.1 ppg. and had eight 20-point games in ASU's 11 true road contests (6-5).
TOP PAC-12 ROAD POINTS PER GAME SINCE 1996-97:
24.0-Ed Gray, Cal (96-97)
23.6-Landry Fields, STAN (09-10)
23.5-Eddie House, ASU (99-2000)
23.0-Aaron Holiday, UCLA (17-18)
23.0-O.J. Mayo, USC (07-08)
22.9-Ryan Anderson, CAl (07-08)
22.6-Remy Martin, ASU (19-20)
--Led the team in 2019-20 in road scoring at 15.0 ppg and in his freshman season was 11-of-23 (.478) from three and 24-of-29 (.828) from free throw line in road games.
--Solid stat: He has posted 10 games of 24+ points in his career, seven of them have been on the road.
--Other solid note on Remy is his progression: Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year in freshman season, All-Pac-12 Second-Team in 2018-19 and first-team honors in 2019-20.
--Earned USBWA National Player of the Week (for week ending Feb. 22) and Pac-12 Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points on 67 percent shooting (16-24), including 5-of-6 behind the arc, and 3.5 assists in the Bay Area road sweep. He scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 74-69 victory at Stanford. In the final 7:17 of the game, he scored 11 of those points. He scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with five assists in 80-75 win at California, as he scored 15 of his points in the final 11:08. It marked his third Pac-12 Player of the Week award in his career.
GET TO KNOW REMY:
Favorite food: Filipino
Favorite musical artist: Bruno Mars
Favorite subject in school: English
Favorite thing to do in your free time: Jet ski
Favorite movie: Through the Fire
Favorite moment at ASU: Coaching and winning 12-year old championship at Coach Hurley Camp
Favorite place you have traveled: Bahamas
Favorite holiday: Christmas
If you didn’t play basketball, what would you want to be doing? I would play baseball or be the worlds biggest DJ or be the next Bobby Hurley
Specific game day routine: Counting my blessing
Who is your biggest inspiration: Family
Proudest moment: Representing my culture/family
Nickname: Chef Remy
One thing could not go a day without: Smiling
One super power, what would it be: Teleportation
If you won the lottery: Give back
Do you have any pets: Bulldog (worst nightmare)
If you could change one thing from your life: Nothing
If you could have dinner with anyone: Kobe Bryant
Last book you read: Hunger Games
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Hulk
Three items would you take with you on a deserted island? Knife, Hammock, inflatable boat
Do you collect anything: shoes
Old fashion style you would bring back: Overalls
Which five senses is your strongest? Sight
What song describes you: Happy
What music group would you join: Jackson 5
Which animal would you be: Black Panther
What celebrity would you take a selfie with: Tupac
Something people don't know about you: I’m quiet
Dream car: Rolls Royce
Place you have never been to but would like to go: Egypt
One skill you would like to master: Remembering names
Have you ever played an instrument? Flute in middle school, was terrible, I would play the drums
What is special about where you're from: Family oriented
Favorite way to spend a weekend: Go with family and friends to La Jolla
Most impressive thing you know how to do: Throw a ball in a basket from anywhere
Activity you would turn into an Olympic sport where you would win a gold medal: Napping
Where would you build a house: On The Beach
What would you name the current chapter of your life: The Takeover
What would your personal flag look like: A Circle Because a Sign of Unity
If you had to change your name, what would it be: Edgar
What kind of business would you open: Club
Favorite time of the year: Summer
Favorite part about being a Sun Devil athlete: Getting a chance to write my own story
OFF THE BENCH IN 2017-18
--The Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year officially returned for the first time in 30+ seasons in 2017-18 and freshman Remy Martin shared the award with CU's Dom Collier. Players must not have exceeded more than 1/3 starts in league games. The previous Pac-10 Sixth Man of the Year was awarded from 1984-87.
--Martin – with zero starts -- averaged 9.6 points, had 94 assists and was 71-of-94 (.755) from the free throw line in 23.8 minutes per game.
--Had 20 double-figure scoring games including 15 of the final 21 tilts and a season-best 21 at No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 10.
--Against Utah on Jan. 25, he had a personal second-half 10-0 run in 2:18 that gave ASU a three-point lead after being down seven.
--At WSU on Feb. 4, he had all 10 points in the final 6:20 and added two steals as ASU outscored WSU 19-9 in final seven minutes. He also had 20 in the Pac-12 Tournament loss to Colorado.
--For ASU men's basketball, a prized freshman's speed doesn't kill, it scores (by Anthony Totri, State Press/Feb. 28, 2018)
--Explosive, fast and never stops...pressures the ball as well as anyone with incredible athletic ability.
BEFORE WEARING THE SUN DEVIL UNIFORM:
--Got it done in the classroom as well in high school with a 3.4 grade point average.
--From Chatsworth, Calif., and Sierra Canyon High School. Played AAU and high school basketball with Marvin Bagley III. Averaged 11.5 points, 6.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals in senior year. Coached in high school by Ty Nichols.
—Helped Sierra Canyon to four wins in five days in two states against some of the top teams in the nation in January of 2016. It ended with a 76-74 win over La Lumiere of Indiana, ranked No. 1 in the nation by several polls, as Remy had 18 points, including a three-point play that gave Sierra Canyon the lead for good at 61-60.
--Sierra Canyon won the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri, rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit to defeat previously unbeaten La Lumiere at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was Sierra Canyon’s third consecutive victory over a team ranked in the top 10 of a national poll after beating Findlay Prep (Nevada) and Memphis East (Tennessee) to win the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament.
--Had 22 points in 83-79 win over Oak Hill Academy on Dec. 15, 2016.
--ESPN placed him at No. 85 in its final spring rankings.
--Scout.com considered him a four-star prospect, ranking him No. 77 overall.
--Also played some high school football early in his career.
VIDEO: Meet Remy Martin (House of Sparky in November of 2017)
--Everyone loves Remy. Those in maroon and gold really love Remy because two of his best scoring games are 31 (95-88 double overtime win on Jan. 31) and 27 (final game of regular season on road on March 9) as he led ASU to first sweep over Arizona since 2008-09 and first win in Tucson since 2010.
--Got hops? Remy does...he has a 40-inch standing vertical jump.
--ASU has averaged nearly 80 points per game the past three seasons, tops in the Pac-12, and a big reason why is Remy's ability to push the ball and find open shooters any way possible (between the leg passes are somewhat normal).
--Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors by the league's coaches in 2018-19 and was the Dec. 17, 2018, Pac-12 Player of the Week. Notched 21 points, grabbed a career-best eight rebounds, and added five assists and three steals to spark the Sun Devils back from an 18-point deficit to a 76-74 victory at Georgia on Dec. 15, leading to his Dec. 17 Pac-12 Player of the Week Award. He had 12 points, five boards, two assists and two steals in the second half, including back-to-back baskets inside the final 3:11 which gave ASU its first lead of the game at 71-70
--Led the Pac-12 with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio and second in league at five assists per game.
--Had his November and early December of 2018 ruined by a bum ankle but was the only player with 11-assist in a Pac-12 road game this year (11 at UCLA) and his 10 made free throws vs. Arizona matched the most in a league tilt.
--ASU had been to four NCAA Tournaments (1995, 2003, 2009 and 2014) in 26 seasons (1992-2017) and had not made March Madness in back-to-back years since 1980-81, but Remy has played in the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons and it would have been a third in 2019020. Four years after hiring Bobby Hurley, ASU is the only Pac-12 school to make the NCAAs the last two seasons (2018 and 2019).
"The question is what we didn't like about ASU. Obviously, Coach Hurley speaks for itself, but the staff really made us feel welcome. The academic advisers and counselors we spoke to let us know what kind of program they would put Remy on that would be beneficial to him making sure he got his degree and possibly getting his Masters. We saw that fire (in Coach Hurley)...he still has that fire. If Bobby can give Remy a third of what he had, I think Remy can have a pretty successful career at ASU" -- Sam Martin, father of Remy, to the Arizona Republic fall of 2016.
I'm still waiting for confirmation on Agbaji, but a source told me that Martin, the 6-foot-0, 175-pound guard from Chatsworth, Calif., has in fact removed his name from the NBA draft and will finish out his college career in Lawrence. To me, this is the biggest recruiting win of the off-season. Last season, Martin averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He shot 44.3 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from behind the arc, and 77.6 percent from the free-throw line.
During his final year at Arizona State, Martin couldn’t have performed much better on the hardwood. He scored 14 points or more 17 times, 20 or more points eight times, and 30 points or more four times. He dished out 8 assists or more seven times and never committed more than six turnovers in a single game. Also, we may not have yet seen the best that Martin has to offer on the hardwood. His entire career at ASU, he was forced to carry a majority of the load. He never had the type of roster that he's going to have at Kansas next season.
This backcourt at Kansas, without question, is absolutely loaded. I saw Jon Rothstein predict KU's starting five would consist of Remy Martin, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, Jalen Wilson, and David McCormack. If that's the case, just look at the talent that Self can bring off the bench each game. I can't imagine, at least by the end of the season, that there will be a team better prepared for the month of March.
Earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2019-20, averaged 19.1 ppg. and had eight 20-point games in ASU's 11 true road contests (6-5).
TOP PAC-12 ROAD POINTS PER GAME SINCE 1996-97:
24.0-Ed Gray, Cal (96-97)
23.6-Landry Fields, STAN (09-10)
23.5-Eddie House, ASU (99-2000)
23.0-Aaron Holiday, UCLA (17-18)
23.0-O.J. Mayo, USC (07-08)
22.9-Ryan Anderson, CAl (07-08)
22.6-Remy Martin, ASU (19-20)
--Led the team in 2019-20 in road scoring at 15.0 ppg and in his freshman season was 11-of-23 (.478) from three and 24-of-29 (.828) from free throw line in road games.
--Solid stat: He has posted 10 games of 24+ points in his career, seven of them have been on the road.
--Other solid note on Remy is his progression: Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year in freshman season, All-Pac-12 Second-Team in 2018-19 and first-team honors in 2019-20.
--Earned USBWA National Player of the Week (for week ending Feb. 22) and Pac-12 Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points on 67 percent shooting (16-24), including 5-of-6 behind the arc, and 3.5 assists in the Bay Area road sweep. He scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 74-69 victory at Stanford. In the final 7:17 of the game, he scored 11 of those points. He scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with five assists in 80-75 win at California, as he scored 15 of his points in the final 11:08. It marked his third Pac-12 Player of the Week award in his career.
GET TO KNOW REMY:
Favorite food: Filipino
Favorite musical artist: Bruno Mars
Favorite subject in school: English
Favorite thing to do in your free time: Jet ski
Favorite movie: Through the Fire
Favorite moment at ASU: Coaching and winning 12-year old championship at Coach Hurley Camp
Favorite place you have traveled: Bahamas
Favorite holiday: Christmas
If you didn’t play basketball, what would you want to be doing? I would play baseball or be the worlds biggest DJ or be the next Bobby Hurley
Specific game day routine: Counting my blessing
Who is your biggest inspiration: Family
Proudest moment: Representing my culture/family
Nickname: Chef Remy
One thing could not go a day without: Smiling
One super power, what would it be: Teleportation
If you won the lottery: Give back
Do you have any pets: Bulldog (worst nightmare)
If you could change one thing from your life: Nothing
If you could have dinner with anyone: Kobe Bryant
Last book you read: Hunger Games
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Hulk
Three items would you take with you on a deserted island? Knife, Hammock, inflatable boat
Do you collect anything: shoes
Old fashion style you would bring back: Overalls
Which five senses is your strongest? Sight
What song describes you: Happy
What music group would you join: Jackson 5
Which animal would you be: Black Panther
What celebrity would you take a selfie with: Tupac
Something people don't know about you: I’m quiet
Dream car: Rolls Royce
Place you have never been to but would like to go: Egypt
One skill you would like to master: Remembering names
Have you ever played an instrument? Flute in middle school, was terrible, I would play the drums
What is special about where you're from: Family oriented
Favorite way to spend a weekend: Go with family and friends to La Jolla
Most impressive thing you know how to do: Throw a ball in a basket from anywhere
Activity you would turn into an Olympic sport where you would win a gold medal: Napping
Where would you build a house: On The Beach
What would you name the current chapter of your life: The Takeover
What would your personal flag look like: A Circle Because a Sign of Unity
If you had to change your name, what would it be: Edgar
What kind of business would you open: Club
Favorite time of the year: Summer
Favorite part about being a Sun Devil athlete: Getting a chance to write my own story
OFF THE BENCH IN 2017-18
--The Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year officially returned for the first time in 30+ seasons in 2017-18 and freshman Remy Martin shared the award with CU's Dom Collier. Players must not have exceeded more than 1/3 starts in league games. The previous Pac-10 Sixth Man of the Year was awarded from 1984-87.
--Martin – with zero starts -- averaged 9.6 points, had 94 assists and was 71-of-94 (.755) from the free throw line in 23.8 minutes per game.
--Had 20 double-figure scoring games including 15 of the final 21 tilts and a season-best 21 at No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 10.
--Against Utah on Jan. 25, he had a personal second-half 10-0 run in 2:18 that gave ASU a three-point lead after being down seven.
--At WSU on Feb. 4, he had all 10 points in the final 6:20 and added two steals as ASU outscored WSU 19-9 in final seven minutes. He also had 20 in the Pac-12 Tournament loss to Colorado.
--For ASU men's basketball, a prized freshman's speed doesn't kill, it scores (by Anthony Totri, State Press/Feb. 28, 2018)
--Explosive, fast and never stops...pressures the ball as well as anyone with incredible athletic ability.
BEFORE WEARING THE SUN DEVIL UNIFORM:
--Got it done in the classroom as well in high school with a 3.4 grade point average.
--From Chatsworth, Calif., and Sierra Canyon High School. Played AAU and high school basketball with Marvin Bagley III. Averaged 11.5 points, 6.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals in senior year. Coached in high school by Ty Nichols.
—Helped Sierra Canyon to four wins in five days in two states against some of the top teams in the nation in January of 2016. It ended with a 76-74 win over La Lumiere of Indiana, ranked No. 1 in the nation by several polls, as Remy had 18 points, including a three-point play that gave Sierra Canyon the lead for good at 61-60.
--Sierra Canyon won the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri, rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit to defeat previously unbeaten La Lumiere at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was Sierra Canyon’s third consecutive victory over a team ranked in the top 10 of a national poll after beating Findlay Prep (Nevada) and Memphis East (Tennessee) to win the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament.
--Had 22 points in 83-79 win over Oak Hill Academy on Dec. 15, 2016.
--ESPN placed him at No. 85 in its final spring rankings.
--Scout.com considered him a four-star prospect, ranking him No. 77 overall.
--Also played some high school football early in his career.
VIDEO: Meet Remy Martin (House of Sparky in November of 2017)
--Everyone loves Remy. Those in maroon and gold really love Remy because two of his best scoring games are 31 (95-88 double overtime win on Jan. 31) and 27 (final game of regular season on road on March 9) as he led ASU to first sweep over Arizona since 2008-09 and first win in Tucson since 2010.
--Got hops? Remy does...he has a 40-inch standing vertical jump.
--ASU has averaged nearly 80 points per game the past three seasons, tops in the Pac-12, and a big reason why is Remy's ability to push the ball and find open shooters any way possible (between the leg passes are somewhat normal).
--Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors by the league's coaches in 2018-19 and was the Dec. 17, 2018, Pac-12 Player of the Week. Notched 21 points, grabbed a career-best eight rebounds, and added five assists and three steals to spark the Sun Devils back from an 18-point deficit to a 76-74 victory at Georgia on Dec. 15, leading to his Dec. 17 Pac-12 Player of the Week Award. He had 12 points, five boards, two assists and two steals in the second half, including back-to-back baskets inside the final 3:11 which gave ASU its first lead of the game at 71-70
--Led the Pac-12 with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio and second in league at five assists per game.
--Had his November and early December of 2018 ruined by a bum ankle but was the only player with 11-assist in a Pac-12 road game this year (11 at UCLA) and his 10 made free throws vs. Arizona matched the most in a league tilt.
--ASU had been to four NCAA Tournaments (1995, 2003, 2009 and 2014) in 26 seasons (1992-2017) and had not made March Madness in back-to-back years since 1980-81, but Remy has played in the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons and it would have been a third in 2019020. Four years after hiring Bobby Hurley, ASU is the only Pac-12 school to make the NCAAs the last two seasons (2018 and 2019).
"The question is what we didn't like about ASU. Obviously, Coach Hurley speaks for itself, but the staff really made us feel welcome. The academic advisers and counselors we spoke to let us know what kind of program they would put Remy on that would be beneficial to him making sure he got his degree and possibly getting his Masters. We saw that fire (in Coach Hurley)...he still has that fire. If Bobby can give Remy a third of what he had, I think Remy can have a pretty successful career at ASU" -- Sam Martin, father of Remy, to the Arizona Republic fall of 2016.
