Kelan Martin to Butler!

[TheHall]

NBADraft.net:

"Kelan Martin SF 6’6 Senior Butler:

Martin flew below the radar as a 6’6 center until he used this summer to showcase his perimeter skills on the AAU circuit. Martin was arguably the most dominant player at Hoopfest tallying 30 points and 12 rebounds in a duel with Devin Booker. With his length and ability to finish at the rim and consistently hit the mid-range shot, Martin will be a candidate to start from Day 1 at Butler and was an absolute steal for Coach Brandon Miller."

http://www.nbadraft.net/marshall-county-hoopfest-top-prospects

Martin's game has come up & he's starting to get more recognition. He's just as good if not better than teammate Quentin Snider. He should finish the year as a top 50 player IMO.

[TheHall]

Martin & Ballard just won the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic in KY. They were the #1 seed & beat rival #4 in the state Trinity 65-54. Martin continued to amke his case for moving up in the rankings. For the tournament he averaged: 24.3 ppg (6th), 11 rpg (3rd), 2.25 stl/gm (3rd), 1.5 blks/gm (5th), 6 FTs/gm (6th).
http://kingofthebluegrass.com/13_box_scores/Final-StatLeaders-Individual.html

University of Louisville signee Quentin Snider scored a game-high 23 points and earned Bob White MVP honors in helping Ballard (9-1) – No. 1 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – become the first team to win four King of the Bluegrass titles. Male and Fairdale both have won three. Butler signee Kelan Martin added 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

“We had to come together to make a big play on defense because every time they came down the court they were slowing their offense down … and we weren’t in the passing lanes,” Martin said. “Then we started getting in those lanes and contributing on defensive."

Snider forced a Trinity turnover when he tied up Ivory for a jump ball, and Martin had a steal and then converted two free throws to give the Bruins a 59-54 lead with 1:38 left. Martin also capped the scoring on a dunk with 16 seconds left.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312230079

More Reviews from KOB:

SteveJones_CJ: Ballard beats Riverside 78-68. Kelan Martin is the MVP of this game. He's looking much more explosive to me this season.

@raashaan: Kelan has really improved his perimeter game. Great potential!

@Qryche11: Kelan Martin is enfuego for Ballard drilling 3's like a madman. Singlehandedly brought them back from 8 pt deficitt vs NCC in KOB.

@NvrNervusBurris: These 2 put on a show. Kelan Martin 26 pts, 11 rebs, 5 stls. Quentin Snider 19 pts, 11 asts.

‏@kyhighs: Kelan Martin (30 points, 12 rebounds) and Quentin Snider (22 points, 5 assists) paced Ballard, which was 27 of 43 at free-throw line.

@freelancehack: Kelan Martin may have just put the exclamation point on this game with a nasty baseline dunk off a Snider assist. #loubb #kob


@BUIrishdawg: Kelan Martin with 18 points and 9 rebounds as Ballard wins the KOB tourney final. Martin also on all tourney team, Snider named MVP.

@_NickBurch: Kelan Martin playing great again for Ballard, per reports. Butler is not a bad program (at all), but this kid could be an impact anywhere.

After 10 games Martin is averaging 24 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.7 stls/gm, 1.2 blks/gm. He did come into the tourny shooting 2-20 from 3 but improved on that going 9-21 over last 4 games. Top 50 player.

[TheHall]

Rivals #144 Kelan Martin is officially (unofficially) a top 50 player. Last night was the capper! After a great early week KOB championship in KY, Ballard went down to Ft. Worth, Texas to play in the Whataburger Tournament to play 2014 5* C Myles Davis (Rivals #2). Turner is the most sought after unsigned recruit period. This was a battle betweent Martin & Turner & Kelan won.

Game Recap:

"Kelan Martin’s 3-pointer with five seconds remaining gave the Ballard High School boys’ basketball team a 72-70 victory over Euless (Texas) on Thursday night in the first round of the Whataburger Tournament in Fort Worth. It was the fifth 3-pointer for Martin, a Butler University signee who led the Bruins (10-1) with 28 points. University of Louisville signee Quentin Snider added 17, 12 in the second half. Trinity got 25 points from Myles Turner, a 6-foot-11 five-star center being recruited by Kentucky, Duke and others."

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20131226/SPORTS05/312260105/-1/rsslink?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&nclick_check=1

More Game Reviews:

@CampbellW95: @CoryTheDude Myles Turner vs. Quinten Snider & Kelan Martin -- Should be epic

@Travis_L_Brown: @dfwvarsity: Ballard's Kelan Martin, a Butler signee, has 10 first-quarter points. Louisville-signee Quentin Snider has three points.

@Ryan_Ky0203: Ballard 36 Euless Trinity, TX 29 Half Kelan Martin w/ 14...Myles Turner w/ 10.

@Ryan_Ky0203: Myles Turner and Kelan Martin both with 18 pts. Ballard by 1. Sounds like Turner is heating up from outside though.

@cfaris09: #Butler signee Kelan Martin drills a 3 to put #Ballard ahead of #Trinity 69-67 with 48 ticks left. #txhshoops

@raashaan: Kelan finally reaching the potential I saw 3 years ago. He is a player. RT @HoopzJunkie: Turner w 25, Martin w 24, Q with 17

@cfaris09: Kelan Martin ain't here to make friends. Answers a Trinity 3 with one of his own to regain the lead for #Ballard, 72-70 w/ 5 seconds left.

‏@Ryan_Ky0203: Kelan Martin with the game winning 3 with 4 secs left...Ballard 72 Euless Trinity, TX 70 Final. Martin leads the Bruins with 27 pts.

Post-Game Reviews:

‏@Bluegrasspreps: Ballard 72 Euless Trinity (TX) 70 - Kelan Martin's late 3 lifts #1 Ballard to victory.

@Zach_Settembre: GREAT WIN 72-70 over Euless Trinity, Texas and Myles Turner. Kelan Martin wins it with a go-ahead 3 with 5 seconds left. Ballard Basketball!

@Ageezyyy: Kelan Martin and Snider for #Ballard put on a show for the night cap last night against Trinity. Myles Turner was beastin, great interior D.

@raashaan: Kelan Martin has always had monster potential. I have seen him do amazing things in #AAU but his work ethic has not been there consistently.

@morrisoncrying: Kelan Martin is such an unique player in that he's not your typical forward.

@raashaan: I'm starting to think that #Butler knows more about finding gems in KY than our local tms. 1st Shelvin Mack, Kam Woods, and now Kelan Martin.

@THicksTBOH: Butler fans should be excited for Kelan Martin. That's about all I got...

Big East future is bright!

[TheHall]

Here's a link to the entire battle between the #1 team in KY Ballard & the #2 team in TX Trinity. This game was epic 3 McD AA caliber players and the BE's Martin shines the brightest! He's now listed as a 6'6 PG, seriously. His jumper in this game looked awesome which besides his motor had been his biggest perceived weakness.

For most of the game Martin matched up against the 6-11 Turner! It was a classic battle on both ends. Martin's a top 50 player easily.

http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/81730