Where did Caleb Martin go to college? A look back at his journey with his twin brother from NC State to Nevada
Miami Heat guard Caleb Martin has been one of the best players in this year's NBA playoffs and is making a name for himself. He almost won the Larry Bird Trophy for the Eastern Conference finals MVP but narrowly lost to teammate Jimmy Butler.
Martin has definitely stepped up his play throughout the playoffs as he is averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals. He had a massive Game 7 as the point guard finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal in 45 minutes.
His shooting has been incredible and he is set to make a lot of money off his performance throughout the postseason. But where did Caleb Martin come from?
Caleb Martin did not do too well throughout his freshman year with the NC State but he improved his play in his sophomore season. That year, he averaged 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He and his twin brother Cody decided they wanted to transfer and went to Nevada to play for Eric Musselman.
Martin was forced to sit out for the 2016-17 season due to the NCAA Transfer rules, but dominated the next season. Caleb Martin finished the season averaging 19.5 points and won the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Both Martin brothers decided to test the NBA draft waters by attending the Draft Combine, but decided to return for their senior season.
Martin continued dominating as he averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his senior campaign. Nevada finished 29-5 (15-3) but lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Florida. He definitely was one of the top players coming out of the season, but the lack of postseason success seemed to hurt him.
Was Caleb Martin drafted?
Caleb Martin entered the 2019 NBA draft but 60 different names were called and Martin was an undrafted free agent. However, that did not stop his journey as he signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets on July 31, 2019. This was another chance for Caleb to play with his brother, who was drafted in the second round.
Caleb Martin went undrafted after returning for his senior year at Nevada.
He was cut by the Hornets in 2021.
J. Cole was actually the one who reached out to the Heat staff, urging them to sign Martin.
Martin just dropped 26 for Miami — now headed BACK to the NBA Finals. https://t.co/i10egjzfeZ
He signed a multi-year deal with the Hornets and eventually was waived by the team on Aug. 7, 2021. A little more than a month later, he signed with the Miami Heat and had a decent time getting solid playing time with the team before making this incredible playoff performance.