Three-point attempt by Ryan Martin Photo Courtesy of Keene State Website
Ryan Martin has a famous name because of his high school basketball accomplishments in Central Maine. People refer to him as one of Maine’s best players ever. Martin is a 5’9″ guard growing up in Wayne, Maine who broke many records in high school playing for the Maranacook Black Bears. Martin broke every record Maranacook ever had. He scored a career high fifty-six points against Oak Hill during his senior year shooting eight for ten beyond the three-point line.
Martin scored 1,899 career points receiving the state’s high award, Mr. Basketball, after the 2007-2008 season. Martin led Maranacook to two state championships (his sophomore and senior years). At the end of his sophomore year, Martin scored 101 points just two points short of the record for the most post-season points in a single year. He was a three-time KVAC Player of the Year his last three years at Maranacook. He received three KVAC first team defensive awards as well. Martin is especially proud of this accomplishment. Unbelievably, in sixth grade he made forty-nine out of fifty free throws.
After winning the state championship his senior year, Ryan Martin successfully walked on at the University of Maine and made the team. He was really excited to play division one basketball. His lifetime goal was to be successful at the Division 1 level. Unfortunately, Martin saw little playing time during his first year. His teammates knew that he was one of the best shooters on the team. Martin worked especially hard in the off-season arriving ready to play. At most, he played just a few minutes a game despite shooting a staggering sixty percent from the three point line the previous year for his high school. Martin decided to redshirt (sit out) his second year to extend his eligibility by a year.
“I definitely improved as a player during my two years at Maine because I got to play against great players everyday in practice” said Martin.
Ryan Martin is one of the hardest working players I have ever known. Every day throughout his four years of high school he would work for hours on all aspects of his game. His father forced him to take one day off each week telling him he must spend one day with his family also giving his body a day of rest. His workout consisted of intense dribbling, running two miles a day, lifting weights, and other activities to improve his game. Martin has a variety of shooting drills to improve his great variety of shooting styles including his jump shot, floater, and free throws. For one of his drills, he shoots over a broom helping the 5’9” Martin practice shooting over taller defenders.
“My favorite shooting drill is the seventy-five shot drill” said Martin during which he shoots from all distances including three-point shots expecting to make more than 65. He practices all his drills at game speed, so when it was game time he was ready to take on the challenge of being guarded by the best defender.
Most importantly, Martin is a really nice person, a great teammate, and never displays over-confidence. He always gives credit to all of his teammates whenever he has an outstanding game.
Martin thought long and hard about staying at Maine finally making a decision to transfer to Keene State a Division III school in Keene, New Hampshire. This is his first season at Keene State where he is studying physical education. Martin still has three full years of basketball eligibility. His team is off to a quick start winning their first four games of season.
The Keene State Owls are glad to have Martin as the starting point guard running the show. He has been contributing every game averaging fifteen points shooting fifty percent from the floor, passing for four and a half assists, snatcing two and a half rebounds, and shooting ninety-two percent from the foul line (only missing one free throw: 12 for 13), and doing all of this while playing just twenty-five minutes a game.
The Owls play in the Little East Conference. They are excited about their undefeated start. Head coach Rob Colbert is thrilled to have Ryan Martin as his starting point guard. Ryan Martin expects his team is to make a deep run in the division three national tournament.
According to Martin, “Playing at Keene State is fun because I get to play a lot of minutes and I can help my team win each and every night.”
