ASU Men’s Basketball: Martin withdraws from NBA Draft, will return for senior season

(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)

Arizona State point guard Remy Martin has decided to return for his senior season with the Sun Devils after initially declaring for the NBA Draft on March 30. 

Martin’s decision comes two weeks after guard and Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year Alonzo Verge announced he would also be returning for his senior year, giving Arizona State its two star backcourt guards for the 2020-2021 season. 

Martin’s decision also comes one day before the August 3 NBA Draft early-entry withdrawal deadline.

Ever since Martin has stepped foot on the court of Desert Financial Arena, he has become a fan favorite in Tempe with a combination of his high-energy style as a dynamic scorer. He earned Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors his freshman year and All-Pac 12 Second-Team honors his sophomore year after averaging 9.6 points per game and 12.9 points per game, respectively.

The 2019-2020 season is where Martin broke through offensively. He led the team in scoring with 19.1 points per game and assists with 4.1. He was second in the Pac-12 in scoring behind Oregon’s Payton Pritchard.

Martin would eventually guide ASU to a third-straight 20-plus win season which has been done only three times in school history. Martin helped the Sun Devils to a 20-11 overall record (11-7 in Pac-12), a fourth-place finish in the conference, and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament before the season would be inevitably shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martin will now lead an ASU team that has been regarded as potential favorites in the Pac-12 for this upcoming season. With five-star recruit Josh Christopher (No. 11 on ESPN Top 100), four-star recruit Marcus Bagley (No. 33 on ESPN Top 100), veterans in senior Kimani Lawrence and junior Taeshon Cherry and experienced returners in sophomores Jalen Graham, Jaelen House, and Caleb Christopher, head coach Bobby Hurley might be heading his most talented team yet.

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