Maryland guard Ian Martinez (23) dribbles up court against West Virginia, during the first half of a first-round college basketball game against West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023. Maryland won 67-65. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
LOGAN — According to a report from On3, Utah State has made another addition to its men’s basketball team, Maryland junior guard Ian Martinez. This would be the ninth transfer signing for new head coach Danny Sprinkle and the 13th newcomer to the roster under his tenure.
Maryland transfer Ian Martinez has committed to Utah State, he tells @On3sports.
Began his career at Utah. Former 4⭐️ recruit. https://t.co/mpW0AHtsb5 pic.twitter.com/kjrnK0Bth8
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 20, 2023
Martinez has three seasons under his belt, two with the Terrapins but also one at the University of Utah which was where he spent his freshman season. After former Utes head coach Larry Krystokowiak was fired in 2021, Martinez transferred to Maryland. Andy Hill, who recently became an assistant coach for Utah State, was an assistant at Utah while Martinez was there.
In his most recent season in Maryland, Martinez played a crucial role coming off the bench. He scored 5.7 points per game and tallied 2.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Martinez posted a career-best 40.3 percentage on 3-pointers, a significant improvement from the 29.7 percent he shot in his freshmen and sophomore seasons. Arguably the best trait for Martinez was his defense, ranking high in several defensive metrics including Sports Reference’s Defensive Box Plus/Minus.
A notable wrinkle in this addition is the fact that Utah State’s roster is full. The Aggies have 15 players, the maximum allowed under NCAA rules. Perhaps one of them is leaving but in a recent photo, posted to social media by Sprinkle, all 15 rostered players are shown posing with Aggie legend Jaycee Carroll who recently visited with the team. It also appears that Martinez is in this photo (standing just behind Sprinkle’s let shoulder) though he is not wearing a practice jersey like the other players on the team which adds legitimacy to the report.
What an Awesome day having Aggie Legend @JayceeCarroll speak with our team about the USU Tradition and how it is Bigger than All of Us! #GoodBetterBest #Details&Habits #Competitive pic.twitter.com/QBQzS6lufM
— Danny Sprinkle (@USUCoachSprink) June 20, 2023
There is the possibility that Martinez will join the team but sit out a year but it would have to be different from a typical “redshirt” season as redshirting players still take up a roster spot. If Martinez were to find his way onto the roster, he’d likely have to sit out a year anyway since this is the second transfer of his career. To be eligible immediately, Martinez would have to be either a graduate transfer or qualify for some exception.
