Men's Basketball: Martin can cook with open looks

Last December, when Jeff Martin jumped to try to block a shot on an opponent’s fast break, some of UNO’s hopes for the season came down with him.

Martin broke a fibula, requiring a plate and five screws to fix, as well as dislocating an ankle.

The 6-foot-2 guard — who had been blazing away at 48 percent (12 of 25) from 3-point range — was out for the season.

Without Martin, the Mavericks finished 17-11 and probably two wins short of qualifying for the Division II playoffs.

“It would have given us a whole different element,” UNO point guard Andrew Bridger said. “We didn’t have a straight spot-up shooter any more. It would have made a difference, especially when we lose (five) games in the final (30) seconds.”

But Martin is back now, and has picked up where he left off.

In two games heading into tonight’s 7 o’clock home game with Peru State, Martin has hit 9 of 16 shots from 3-point range. The nine 3s came consecutively — he hit his last five in the season-opening win over Doane, then his first four in a road win at Rockhurst (Mo.).

“He’s obviously capable of doing that,” University of Nebraska at Omaha coach Derrin Hansen said. “Almost every one he’s taken, it looked like it was going in. A couple of them have been just a hair short.”

Said teammate Tyler Bullock, who transferred to UNO with Martin from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2008:

“Obviously he’s one of the best shooters in the state of Nebraska, from NAIA all the way up to Division I. I don’t think many would argue that.”

But Martin’s shooting percentages didn’t reflect that in two seasons at UNK.

The Bellevue West product shot a respectable 43.5 percent (54 of 124) from 3 as a freshman, when all but 11 of his field goal tries were from long range. Then, as a sophomore, he hoisted 190 3s, making 66 for 34.7 percent.

“It was always pretty easy to get an open shot my freshman year, playing with (All-American) Dusty Jura,” Martin said. “But we lost eight guys and my sophomore year was different. I’d never had to create my own shot in high school playing with guys like Josh (Dotzler, the former Creighton point guard) and Mike (Jenkins, former UNO wing).

“It was a different role, and I had to shoot a lot more. I fell into some traps, took a lot of bad shots. That brings down your percentage. And I forced up a lot of contested 3s. It’s not as easy as shooting those as open ones coming off screens.”

Martin is getting those open looks with UNO, some created by the floor generalship of Bridger, others because of the driving ability of Bullock or the inside presence of Eugene Bain and Dion Curry.

“I shot in the 30s in high school, which is pretty bad for a shooter,” Martin said. “I want to stay in the 40s, which I’ve done most of my college career. Creating my own shot has always been a problem, but playing with guys like Tyler and Bridger, who can create shots for themselves or for me, helps a lot.”

During Martin’s sophomore season at UNK, Bullock had briefly joined the program and appeared set to be a starting guard alongside Garrett Lever the following season. Martin decided to transfer.

“I knew they had brought in some decent guys, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t going to start,” Martin said. “I have a lot of feelings towards Coach (Kevin) Lofton and Coach (Tom) Kropp. They showed me a new world of basketball — from a mentality standpoint — that I think I’ve brought to this team here.

“Toughness, hyping your guys up, playing within yourself. I have no qualms with the coaches. It was a hard decision for me, but I can’t look back and regret anything.”

Martin, thicker physically as well as mentally than he was as a high school player, has brought an element of toughness to the UNO program, Hansen said.

“He’s slowly becoming one of our leaders,” Hansen said. “One thing about Jeff’s demeanor is that he has no problem getting on other guys when he doesn’t think they’re pulling their weight.”

Martin had a pretty hard time getting the chance at UNO. Out of high school, UNO was loaded with wing players and wanted to focus its recruiting efforts on inside players.

“Recruiting isn’t always about want,” Hansen said. “Sometimes it’s about need.”

Those wing players — like Jenkins and Mitch Albers — were still around when Martin looked into UNO again the second time. He was told he could walk on, redshirt and wait his turn, which he eventually did.

But by the time the season started it became obvious that the Mavs needed him on the floor. In the end, though, the broken leg basically led UNO to revert to its earlier plan.

“From a player’s standpoint, you want to start and play 30 minutes,” said Martin, who has attempted three two-point baskets while averaging 16.0 points. “You want to do all you can for the team.

“But basketball has always been a team sport. I’ve always wanted to be part of a team and help out any way I can. It’s never been about individual accolades. I definitely felt like this program was best for me. I felt like I would fit in best here. And I’m definitely happy with the decision I made.”

UNO NOTES: Peru State’s 2-7 record doesn’t include exhibition losses to Washburn (71-41) and Wyoming (120-73). ... Besides Martin, the rest of the Mavs are a combined 1 for 12 from 3. ... Guard Torrian Harris is shooting 57.1 percent from the field while averaging 10.0 points off the bench.

Contact the writer:

444-1027, rob.white@owh.com