Texas Tech basketball: 5 players to know from the West Region

Caleb Martin – Nevada

Texas Tech basketball fans are certainly aware of Nevada’s Caleb Martin.  Last year, he dropped 28 points on the Red Raiders in an overtime loss in Lubbock.  This year, he leads the No. 7 seeded Wolfpack with 19.2 points per game as they prepare for what they hope will be a second-consecutive deep run in the Big Dance after reaching the Sweet 16 last year.

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound Martin is one of four players on his team scoring in double-digits for a Wolfpack squad that averages 80.7.  Additionally, he averages 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Playing in Nevada’s pro-style system, Martin excels in one-on-one and isolation situations where his length, athleticism and strength make him tough to stop.  He has a deadly mid-range jumper which forces defenders to play tighter defense than would normally be advised against such a dynamic athlete.

He is a decent 3-point shooter at 34.3%.  He averages 9.3 shots from deep per game and is making 3.2.  But this year, his 3-point shooting has dropped off significantly from the 40.5% he shot last season as his attempts have gone up.

Martin is also one of the most fearless players in the tournament.  In clutch situations, he wants to be the man taking the final shot which is something every team will likely need at least once if a deep run is in store.  Tech and Nevada could meet up in the Sweet 16 and if that happens, it will be interesting to see if the Red Raiders have better success against Caleb Martin than they did last season in Lubbock.