This former Div. II All-American has battled injury, adjusted to new role at Boise State
Boise State guard Max Rice’s career-high 35 points stole the show in the Broncos’ win at No. 19 New Mexico on Wednesday, but one of the biggest moments of the game belonged to one of the team’s newest members.
Kansas transfer Cam Martin exploded for a two-hand dunk in first half, momentarily silencing the crowd of 13,239 fans at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It was a big moment for the Broncos. The dunk was part of a 14-0 run that eliminated an eight-point deficit and was part of why Boise State went into halftime with the lead.
It was also a big moment for Martin. It was cathartic for the seventh-year senior, who admitted Friday that the final season of his college career hasn’t gone as planned.
The three-time Division II All-American at Missouri Southern State envisioned himself holding down a starting role with the Broncos and lighting up the scoreboard the way he once did. He did not see himself coming off the bench and battling a shoulder injury while adjusting to a new role. That’s the position he finds himself in, but Martin said he’s determined to make the most of it.
“Doing whatever I can to help the team win means the most to me,” he told reporters Friday in preparation for the Broncos’ home game against Air Force on Saturday (2 p.m., Mountain West Network). “Whether it’s coming off the bench or just being a good teammate, I’m ready to do that.”
The walking wounded
Martin isn’t stuffing stat sheets the way he did while racking up 2,040 points in three seasons at Missouri Southern State. The six points he scored Tuesday at The Pit were the most he scored since putting up 10 against Utah Valley on Dec. 29. He’s averaging 5.6 points a game, which ranks No. 5 on the team this season.
A shoulder injury Martin suffered at Kansas has slowed his progress. Martin said Friday that he suffered a separated shoulder while with the Jayhawks but opted to go the rehab route instead of having surgery. He took a medical redshirt in his final season at Kansas before transferring to Boise State last year.
Martin said the injury is still affecting his range of motion, especially when he lifts his arm above his shoulder. It’s also preventing him from putting in the amount of work he’s used to. Martin said he used to put up 300-400 shots a day. Now, he’s lucky to get through 50 without his shoulder hurting.
“As an athlete, it’s tough to know you can do something but your body isn’t letting you,” Martin said. “It was super frustrating at first. I went through a lot to get here. I’m in a great situation with a coach that is letting me play free, and now my body is limiting me.”
He went to see a doctor in Boise after the Broncos’ trip to Canada last August and was told he needs surgery, which is scheduled for after the season, Martin confirmed on Friday. For now, he’s just going to gut it out and keep filling whatever role the team needs filled on any given night.
“I’m just going to do whatever I need to do to help this team win,” he said.
Martin said the injury has forced him to focus on rebounding and playing great defense, which is still somewhat new to him. He said Kansas coach Bill Self stressed playing strong defense, but Martin remembers former Missouri Southern State head coach Jeff Boschee telling him not to worry about giving up points on defense because he was going to score 30 anyway.
Boschee was more worried about him staying out of foul trouble than playing solid defense. That’s not the way Boise State basketball coach Leon Rice runs his program. He preaches that defense leads to offense.
“It has changed my whole outlook,” Martin said. “I’ve always been the player that’s going to score more than the guy across from me, not hold him to less points.”
Rice said rebounding and becoming a great defender will serve Martin for the rest of his career, which Rice said he expects to extend beyond college.
“You have to be able to understand that sometimes you get what you need, not what you want,” Rice said. “You have a plan for your life and your goals. That’s laughed at by God. You have to be able to adjust.”
A man of many talents
Points don’t tell the whole story of Martin’s contributions, Rice said. He has pulled down at least three rebounds and notched at least two assists in each of the Broncos’ past four games. He also played quality minutes when Tyson Degenhart and O’Mar Stanley found themselves in foul trouble on separate nights.
“We don’t win some of the games we’ve won, especially on the road, without him showing up big,” Rice said. “He loves his teammates, and they love him.”
Martin has done some of his best work as a passer. He has recorded at least two assists in 14 of the Broncos’ 21 games, including a season-high six in wins over Western Oregon and Northwestern State. His 49 assists rank No. 2 on the team — one behind point guard Roddie Anderson III’s 50.
Martin said his ability to set up his teammates dates back to his final year at Missouri Southern State when he shot 45% from 3-point range and teams did their best to run him off the line.
“When you put in on the floor as a big guy, you’ve got to make plays and see the whole floor,” he said. “Playing off my shot fake, driving in and finding the open guy helped me a lot.”
He may not be averaging a double-double or pushing for Mountain West Player of the Year, but Martin said he’s on a team that has a chance to make a special run to a conference championship and beyond.
He also said the Broncos can’t afford to look past Air Force (8-12, 1-7 Mountain West) to a pair of big road games at Colorado State (Feb. 6) and No. 17 Utah State (Feb. 10). Boise State beat the Rams at ExtraMile Arena on Jan. 9 and lost to the Aggies in overtime at home on Jan. 27.
“We have to come out with energy from the jump,” he said. “The game against New Mexico means nothing if we don’t take care of business.”
