Sunday, February 13, 2000

UC's Martin looks like Player of the Year

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Star center seems shoo-in for awards

BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Kenyon Martin makes one of his 10 blocks against Memphis. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        In the drive to get Kenyon Martin elected as college basketball's player of the year, there will be no posters, no brochures, no fliers and precious few speeches.

        You want a flier? How about if Martin sends an opponent's jump shot flying 35 feet up the court?

        You want a speech? Try this one from Cincinnati Bearcats coach Bob Huggins after Martin fell flat on his back and smacked his head against the court, then got up to score a career-high 31 points against Alabama-Birmingham: “The best player in the country is supposed to play like the best player in the country. He knows that.”

        OK, so Huggins has made more expansive and glowing comments about Martin, his 6-foot-9 senior center, who will lead the No.1 Bearcats (22-1, 10-0) into a key Conference USA game against DePaul (16-7, 6-4) at 3:30 p.m. today at the Shoemaker Center. Huggins praises Martin's athleticism, his offensive improvement, his leadership and dependability and, most emphatically, his understanding of the game.

DePAUL at UC

• When: 3:30 p.m. today   • Where: Shoemaker Center (13,146)   • Records: UC 22-1 (10-0 Conference USA); DePaul 16-7 (6-4)   • TV: Ch.9   • Radio: WLW-AM (700)   BY THE NUMBERS   • 41: UC's home winning streak, now the second-longest in Division I behind Utah (48).   • 14: UC's consecutive regular-season wins in Conference USA.   • 1-2: DePaul's record vs. Top 25 teams this season.   • 11: Double-doubles for DePaul forward Quentin Richardson

        All of those things established Martin as the leading contender — some say the only contender at this point — for the three major college player of the year awards: the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by the United States Basketball Writers; the Naismith Trophy presented by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club and the John R. Wooden Award presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

        “He's clearly my choice, and I'll cast it for the Wooden and the Naismith,” said Dick Vitale, college basketball analyst for ESPN and ABC-TV. “I think he's been sensational. He's been their catalyst, and his maturity as an offensive player has really been impressive. Unless he has a complete, complete tumble the rest of the year, I can't see him possibly losing it.”

        DePaul's Quentin Richardson has been consistently good, but the Blue Demons themselves have not. They dropped out of the Top 25 with four losses in six games at the end of January, even though Richardson averaged 18.2 points and 10.0 rebounds.

Martin dunks against UNLV. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Martin and his school aren't trying to schmooze their way into those trophies. “I just do what I do to help this team win,” Martin said. “I don't worry about that. When the time comes, then I'll worry about it. Now, I've got games to play.”

        Despite the lack of promotion, some voters are already backing Martin.

        Although Richardson been an exceptional leader for a sophomore and a consistent producer, it's hard for voters to get enthused about voting for a player whose team is fighting to make the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame's Troy Murphy and Arizona State's Eddie House are in similar predicaments.

        Among the elite teams, Duke has two candidates, but it's impossible to choose between forwards Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier. Ohio State's Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd are outstanding players, but neither is shooting over .410 from the field nor averaging 16 points.

        “I place a great emphasis on winning, being a part of a winning environment and having to take the best hit from everybody,” Vitale said, “and Martin's done that.”

        Iowa State's Marcus Fizer, Oklahoma State's Desmond Mason, Oklahoma's Edjuardo Najera and Fresno State's Courtney Alexander are having sensational seasons on good teams, but aren't well known.

Kenyon Martin had 16 points, nine boards vs. North Carolina.. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

SET AS WALLPAPER: Click here for bigger image, then right click to Set As Wallpaper

        Stanford's Mark Madsen, Utah's Hanno Mottola and Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves have big names but have been affected by injuries.

        “How can you even argue who the player of the year is?” said Andy Katz of ESPN2's College Hoops 2Nite. “I don't think there's been any other player who's been as good or dominant.”

        A year ago, Martin averaged 10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks and attempted double-figure shots only once in the final 12 games. Huggins and his assistants tried to get Martin to become more assertive on offense, but failed.

        After returning with a gold medal earned in the World University Games, where he led the U.S. team in scoring with more than 13 points per game, Martin was convinced he could be competitive for the college player of the year awards, and said as much before the 1999-2000 regular season began, after he'd seen his name on the list of finalists for the Wooden Award.

        This was about as overt as UC's campaign would become. The sports information department e-mails statistic updates on Martin to college basketball journalists, but otherwise relies on his television performances and SportsCenter's frequent airing of his highlights to spread the word.

        “The guys that vote on the polls are a lot more sophisticated because of the information available,” said assistant athletic director Tom Hathaway.

        “I don't think you're going to vote for Kenyon because I put out a better brochure than Stanford does for Madsen.

        “I think his performance will have a lot to say about it.”

       

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