Tyrese Martin, a big, scoring guard, transferring from URI to UConn

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For the past few weeks, Tyrese Martin has been back home in Allentown, Pa., working eight hours a day in a warehouse, packing boxes and shipping them out, then taking online courses and finding time to work on his basketball at night.

It’s something he’s had to do to make some money for his family, after his mother, Pamela Rynearson, was laid off from her job as a restaurant manager due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“That’s the kind of work ethic we’re talking about,” said Martin’s AAU coach, James Johns.

It’s the kind of work ethic UConn will welcome to the team next season, as well. Martin, a 6-foot-6 guard who just completed his sophomore season at the University of Rhode Island, announced on Tuesday that he will transfer to UConn.

“The history behind UConn, the relationship I have with Coach (Dan) Hurley,” Martin said. “The Big East is always a conference I dreamed of playing in as a kid.”

Martin averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Rams this winter. He shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from the 3-point line in 30 games. A confident player, he can score at any level of basketball — and the Big East is certainly up a level from the Atlantic 10.

“He wanted to challenge himself to compete at the highest level,” said Johns, who coached Martin for two seasons with the We R1 AAU team that won consecutive Under Armour national championships. “When it came down to it, it doesn’t get much higher than UConn, especially going into the Big East.”

Martin was recruited to URI by Hurley, before Hurley left to take over the reins at UConn in March, 2018. Brendan Adams, who just finished his sophomore season at UConn, switched his commitment from URI to UConn upon Hurley’s move. Now, Martin, who started every game this past season for the Rams, will make the same 60-mile trip north.

Tyrese Martin was recruited by Dan Hurley to go to URI, and then again to transfer to UConn. Tyrese Martin was recruited by Dan Hurley to go to URI, and then again to transfer to UConn. Photo: Courtesy Of URI Athletics. Photo: Courtesy Of URI Athletics. Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Tyrese Martin, a big, scoring guard, transferring from URI to UConn 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

“The relationship with Coach Hurley, it made it all easy,” Johns said. “He loves those guys at URI, Coach (David) Cox and those guys. They gave him a chance after Coach Hurley left. But he wanted to continue to develop, and he thought he had more in the tank and wanted to challenge himself.”

Martin will also have to sit out this season, per NCAA transfer rules, unless he obtains a waiver, or if the NCAA changes its rules so that players get a one-time chance to transfer without sitting out a season. That rule was expected to be enacted this year, but it now appears it may not go into effect until the 2021-22 season.

As a freshman in 2018-19, Martin started 19 of 33 games and averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. But one anecdote from that season demonstrated how he is mature beyond his years, even if he can be a high-level trash-talker on the floor.

URI was on a a two-game road trip through Saint Louis and Richmond during the holiday break, so the team didn’t return to campus between games. The Rams lost to Saint Louis, their third loss in their last five games, on Sunday, and the next day the staff was going to take the team to the movies.

Director of operations (and current URI assistant coach) T.J. Buchanan told Martin to be ready to leave the hotel for the movie theater at 1:30 p.m. But Martin said, “No.”

“I mean, coming off a loss, a movie should be the last thing on our minds,” Martin recalled. “I’m there to win a championship. That was the point I was getting to there.”

The trip to the movies was canceled, and URI won three of its next four games.

Johns noted that Martin’s biggest strength is his ability to rebound as a guard. “He’s relentless on the glass.”

His areas to work on: assist-to-turnover ratio (0.6 this past season) and 3-point shooting.

“I think that will come with understanding where he gets his shots from a little more,” Johns said. “It’s a better system at UConn than it was at URI, as far as understanding where your shot’s come from. It’s just a better fit offensively for him.”

Martin fills one of two currently available scholarships for the Huskies, after Alterique Gilbert transferred to Wichita State a couple of weeks ago and Sid Wilson entered the transfer portal on Friday.

Hurley has been saying for a while now that he wanted to bring in a big, scoring guard, and Martin certainly fits that bill. UConn will be looking for a power forward-type to fill what is currently the final scholarship spot, and the Huskies will concentrate on a player who will be immediately eligible next season.

david.borges@hearstmediact.com