NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Tennessee of last decade

9. Jeremiah Martin – Memphis

Martin is a 6’3 guard from Memphis who stayed right there in his hometown. He spent four years playing basketball at Memphis, playing under three different head coaches across his career. After playing a limited role as a freshman under Josh Pastner, he was much more of an impactful presence under coaches Tubby Smith and Penny Hardaway across the rest of his playing days.

His contributions were limited as a freshman, but he really stepped into a principle role as a sophomore. Martin averaged double-digit points across his final three seasons, growing into a heavily-utilized offensive weapon. He averaged 18.9 points per game as a junior and then 19.7 a game as a senior under Hardaway. He had a 43-point outpouring in a win over Tulane and played in the NIT as a senior to finish his career on a somewhat higher note.

Martin led the conference in steals as a sophomore, was Second Team All-AAC as a junior, and earned First Team honors as a senior. He was the conference’s top scorer in his final season and an important piece for multiple head coaches. Memphis didn’t exactly have their strongest teams; Martin never played in the NCAA Tournament, but he was still an impressive talent who shined in the AAC. The last three years have seen him bounce between the NBA, the G-League, and a career overseas; he’s over in Poland these days.