Martin relishing long-awaited Division-I opportunity

The fact that Lonnell Martin Jr. is a college basketball player isn't a surprise to those who have known him longest.

Even though baseball was his first love, he jokes that he was born into basketball, the sport he eventually pursued as he progressed through high school, and the one that has now taken him to new heights, recently signing a Division-I scholarship with Montana.

Martin has been around the game as long as he can remember, with his father, Lonnell Martin Sr., coaching his AAU team, and several relatives playing at the collegiate and professional levels.

One uncle, Jeff Grayer, starred at Iowa State, being named a 1988 All-American while still holding the Cyclones' all-time career scoring record. Grayer went on to represent Team USA in the 1988 Olympics before being drafted 13^th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, the beginning of a nine-year NBA career. His other uncle, Trent Tucker, was drafted No. 6 overall by the New York Knicks in 1982, part of a 12-year career that finished with an NBA title with the Chicago Bulls, playing alongside Michael Jordan.

He has an aunt who played collegiately at the University of Detroit and a cousin, Miles Bridges, who was a first-round NBA pick in 2018 after an All-America career at Michigan State.

"My whole family played basketball, and I wanted to be like them," Martin said. "Growing up and being around them, especially my uncle, I learned a lot from them and they inspired me."

Listed as a 6-4 guard, Martin has two years of eligibility remaining, and is excited to make the most of his opportunity after a winding career up to this point.

A product of Grand Blanc High School outside of his hometown of Flint, Michigan, Martin tore his PCL heading into his senior season of high school, leading him to a year at the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida.

He was a Division-I caliber player, but after committing to Youngstown State, his scholarship offer was pulled as he finished his final credits over the 2018 summer, forcing him to again reroute.

First was Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan, about an hour away from home. Next was a season at Otero Junior College in Colorado.

Wherever Martin has gone, he's had success.

At Oakland, he averaged 17.6 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 25 games. At Otero, he started 18 of 20 games while averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.8 steals per game. The Rattlers went 15-5 and advanced to the NJCAA Region IX quarterfinals, with Martin being named to the Region IX first team.

It's not the path Martin drew up for himself, but he's taking it in stride, and has a surprisingly positive perspective about it.

"No one wants to go the junior-college route, but it's my story," he said. "It's been hard, but I think it's also made me better. During the process, I never knew where I was going to be the next year, so it always motivated me to work harder."

Martin now has his long-awaited Division-I opportunity, and he's eager to get to work.

So much so that he moved to Missoula in the beginning of May and started training with the team shortly after. There have been some hurdles – the time in the weight room being the biggest adjustment, considering none of his previous stops had full-time strength coaches – but his early impressions have made him even more excited for the upcoming season.

"It's been awesome being here," Martin said. "The guys accepted me in as one of their brothers and it didn't take long at all. We've been getting after it day in and day out, and honestly, I don't think any team in the country is working as hard as we are right now."

Off the court, they're jelling, as well – thanks to a different sport.

"We've been going bowling twice a week," Martin said. "It's been awesome."

The newcomer wasn't the initiator of the group activity, but he doesn't shy away from who the best bowler on the team is.

"I bowled a 246 earlier this week," Martin said. "My all-time high is 268."

It's a sport that his grandmother introduced him to at a young age and something he did regularly with her while growing up in Flint, Michigan. Now, it's something he does in her honor, after she passed away a few years back.

As for bowling tips?

"Consistency is key," Martin said. "For me, you have to spin it. It starts on the right and finishes on the left half."

From his time at the lanes to his time on the court, Martin is fully sold on Montana just six weeks into his move.

He was first contacted by the coaching staff in late January, after associate head coach Chris Cobb watched one of his games and reached out, and verbally committed shortly after, once the coaching staff continued to pursue him.

He liked Travis DeCuire's playing style, and the success the program has had on the court. But he also liked the relationships that were being built, even if it was all virtual.

"Most of the conversations we had during the recruiting process weren't even about basketball," Martin said. "Once I saw that, I knew I wanted to play for this staff. It's one that will care for me on and off the court, and will develop me not only as a player but as a person."

As for Missoula? "I love it. I don't have anything bad to say about it."

DeCuire sees Martin as a wing-type player, someone who can shoot and create his own shot. He has experience running the point, but recently has played more off ball, which fits his style. He says Griz fans will notice the energy he brings and his ability to shoot, which matches up with his stats last year at Otero, when he made 45 percent of his shots overall, including a .395 clip from deep and .870 rate from the free-throw line.

Martin is studying business with an entrepreneurship focus, with hopes of someday running his own business.

For now, though, he's just excited for what's in front of him – finally some stability and a Division-I opportunity.

"Montana basketball has a good fan base, so I'm really excited to experience that," Martin said. "It's something you dream about when you're little. I think we can get back to the NCAA tournament and have a lot of success.

"I'm hungry and excited and can't wait."

University of Montana Athletics

Martin relishing long-awaited Division-I opportunity

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