LOGAN — For his stellar back-to-back performances, and aiding Utah State to a crucial 2-0 week, Aggie guard Ian Martinez earned the Mountain West Player of the Week award.
Martinez averaged 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals last week in the Aggies’ wins over Santa Clara and San Francisco. He also shot 52.0 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from three and went 17 for 21 (81.0 percent) on free throws.
After Utah State’s game against San Francisco, USU head coach Danny Sprinkle gave high praise to the senior guard.
“He’s a big time player, man,” Sprinkle said. “He’s just a big time athlete. He can score it. It doesn’t matter how you guard him, he can still get a shot off. He’s down there fighting, getting rebounds.”
The Aggies won last week’s two games by a combined three points, and in such intense, every-possession-matters games, Martinez made big plays in crucial situations. Against Santa Clara he scored eight of the Aggies final 10 points, including a massive 3-pointer that put USU up five points with 1:31 left in the game and four free throws in the last 20 seconds that kept USU up by four points on the Broncos’ final two offensive possessions.
Martinez’s biggest clutch play against San Francisco, unnoticed by many (though not by Sprinkle) was getting a deflection on the dribble of Dons forward Jonathan Mogbo who was diving toward the basket for a potential game-tying shot in the literal final seconds of the game.
Since becoming a starter in late November, Martinez has averaged 15.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.0 steals across six games in which Utah State is undefeated.
