Former Kansas Jayhawk Cam Martin plays well for Boise State on Broncos’ trip to Canada

Former Kansas men’s basketball forward Cam Martin has made a strong first impression at his new school, Boise State.

Martin, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound, 25-year-old seventh-year senior forward from Yukon, Oklahoma, who entered the transfer portal on March 20 and surfaced at Boise State two weeks later, averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the Broncos’ recent three-game summer exhibition tour of British Columbia, Canada.

Martin — who redshirted at Kansas in 2021-22 after leaving Missouri Southern then was a medical redshirt at KU last season — hit 14 of 23 shots for Boise State in victories over Fraser Valley (93-57), Thompson Rivers (83-60) and Trinity Western (134-70). He was 6 for 9 from 3. He also had seven steals in the three wins.

KU graduate B.J. Rains, who covers Boise State as owner/publisher of BroncoNationNews.com, offered his opinion of Martin’s game at the conclusion of the trip.

“Cam Martin can do more than shoot. The Kansas transfer certainly is a stretch 5 that will tremendously change the look of Boise State’s offense,” Rains wrote. “He wasn’t shy about letting it fly from deep, hitting 6 of 9 from 3-point range. But Martin also has an impressive pump fake and a nice ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.

“He also has some good post moves and can score about the basket. His passing ability is also noteworthy. Some were down on Martin when he committed since he came from a Division II school, redshirted two years ago at Kansas and then was limited to four games last year due to (shoulder) injury, but his showing in Canada was a nice reminder that being on scholarship at two years for the Jayhawks should mean something. Martin can play. He averaged 12.7 points in less than 19 minutes per game in Canada. I was really impressed with his overall feel for the game and I’d be shocked if he wasn’t a major contributor in his one season with the Broncos,” Rains added.

Martin chose Boise State over Colorado State. He also considered Clemson, Wichita State, SMU and Texas Tech. His brother Alex, who did not enter a game on the Canada tour, is a 6-6 Boise State freshman non-scholarship wing out of Webb City High in Missouri. Alex, who at 19 is six years younger than Cam, averaged 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game his senior season of high school.

“The biggest thing for me was finding the right fit offensively and being used in a way that fits my skill set,” Cam Martin told Bronco Nation News’ Rains on the day he committed to Boise State.

“After watching some film of how I’ve played in the past and how Boise State has played in the past and how they want to use me, it looked like a no-brainer,” Martin added.

He noted that he and his brother “just loved the city, loved the campus, everything about it. I had never been to Idaho so to get to experience that and meet the coaches in person was super big for both of us and ultimately we just decided it was the best fit basketball wise and school wise.”

After redshirting during KU’s NCAA title season, Martin, who began his career at Jacksonville State in 2017-18, appeared to be in line for some minutes at the 5 spot his super senior season at KU. However he suffered a shoulder separation at practice in late October. After rehab he played in his first KU game on Dec. 10 at Missouri. He played against Indiana and in two Big 12 games before reinjuring the shoulder. His last game action was four minutes on Jan. 3 at Texas Tech.

“I loved my time here, the relationships I built,” Martin told The Star after last season. “My teammates are lifelong. I got my brothers. I wouldn’t change a thing how it happened. It’s unfortunate me getting hurt. I wouldn’t change it.”

Martin said “for sure” when asked if his shoulder injury might have affected his KU career in terms of making an impact in games.

“You can sit here and play the ‘what if’ game all year. I go from starting the first scrimmage and then the very next day I mess my shoulder up, get all out of rhythm. You never know what could happen. When I redshirted I was hoping and working for the big role. Things just didn’t work out.”

Cam Martin’s brother joins him at Boise State

Cam Martin’s brother, Alex, did not play on the AAU basketball circuit.

Jordan Kaye, formerly of Idahopress.com and now with Bronco Nation News, pinpointed the reason.

“I’m an entrepreneur,” Alex Martin told Kaye. “Throughout high school, I’ve owned four different businesses. I owned a lawn service, then I owned a detail shop and I detailed for four major car lots.

“Right now, I actually own an inflatable bounce-house business (he has 25 inflatables and two enclosed trailers) and I own two different snow-cone stands. So I never really focused on basketball.”

He also has made money “flipping cars.” That is, buying underpriced cars then selling them.

“I’ve been saying the whole time, we’re going to have a movie by the time Cam’s journey is over (considering he’s played at four schools: Jacksonville State, Missouri Southern, KU and BSU). Now that Alex’s (college career) is getting started the way it is — man, this is doing nothing but adding to the book, movie, whatever,” Jeff Martin, dad of Cam and Alex told idahopress.com.

Of his desire to put his businesses on hold a bit and play hoops, Alex said: “Honestly, I was making plenty of money and everything but, about my sophomore year, I just actually truly started to love basketball. Before then, I never really cared. I mean, I played just to play. But I didn’t take it seriously.

“But I take it seriously now and if I get myself around the right people, I can have a big future in basketball. Honestly, I think I can play overseas.”