NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Louisiana of last decade
By Joey Loose
9. Jarell Martin – LSU
Arriving at a program no stranger to producing impressive bigs, Martin is a 6’10 forward from Baton Rouge who didn’t have to travel at all for college. A five-star recruit in 2013, Martin arrived at LSU, spending a pair of seasons in a starting role for the Tigers. He left campus after just those two years, but he made the most of his college days.
Martin worked his way into the starting lineup as a freshman and had a pair of 20-point performances late in SEC play, but it’s his second season that really stands out. As a sophomore, he averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, helping lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years. Among his key performances was a 28-point, 13-rebound affair late in the year against Florida and a 27-point outing in his final regular season game at Arkansas.
A member of the SEC All-Freshman team in year one, Martin’s great sophomore seasons saw him named All-SEC First Team, a well-deserved honor. He finished that season among the leaders in the Sec in points, rebounds, and a very other statistics. Declaring early, he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and spent parts of four seasons in the NBA, currently continuing his playing career overseas.