LAWRENCE — Remy Martin’s been through a senior day before, but on Friday he talked about Saturday’s Kansas basketball ceremony the way one might expect an athlete to talk about his first.
Martin, who transferred in from Arizona State for a super-senior season with the Jayhawks, is acknowledging he never expected to be in Lawrence after experiencing senior day with the Sun Devils. While it was different, due to the pandemic, he still had that special moment with family inside Desert Financial Arena. Coming to Lawrence was like restarting the clock as a freshman, he said.
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Martin also explained how it’s felt to be embraced here. I have pointed to being a part of the culture. He acknowledged, too, how Saturday’s 3 pm tip-off against Texas is his last opportunity to don a Kansas uniform and play at a facility in Allen Fieldhouse that he loves.
“I mean, every time I get to go out and play it’s always a blessing, and it puts more emphasis here because this is such a special place to play,” Martin said. “It’s definitely going to be a moment that I really just look around and embrace it all, because these fans are special, this team is special, everything about this place is special … So (Saturday)’s going to be, I think, an emotional day for a lot of people.”
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Coach Bill Self referred to his senior group as having “two newbies” in Martin and Jalen Coleman-Lands. Self referred to having “four mainstays” in Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack, Chris Teahan and Mitch Lightfoot. It’s a sign of the times given the nature of the transfer portal.
Neither Martin nor Coleman-Lands has racked up memory upon memory to the extent Teahan or Lightfoot have. However fast Lightfoot’s six seasons under Self have felt to Lightfoot, think about what’s going through Martin’s or Coleman-Lands’ minds with each only having one. But in Coleman-Lands’ mind he’s been able to see what the program is about in the brief stint he’s had, and Martin’s been with him all the way.
“For me, just, I’d say every moment,” said Martin, asked if there are any moments that stand out. “I haven’t been able to participate in the court as much as I would like just due to my injury and stuff. But just being involved in these games and being involved in as much as I could even on the sideline just cheering the guys on or coming in for as much as I can just to help, I embrace all of it.”
Martin’s lone season with the Jayhawks hasn’t followed what many might have expected prior to the season opener. He won’t be named the Big 12 Conference’s player of the year, an honor he was predicted to win by the conference’s head coaches. A knee injury led to him missing an extended period of the conference slate, and lately it seems his place of him in the rotation has dropped to the spot behind both Dajuan Harris Jr. and Joseph Yesufu.
Martin remained adamant, though, that his main goal was and still is winning. Whatever he’s asked to do, however many minutes he receives, he said he’ll do his best to help. Despite that injury hampering him, he doesn’t think it’s out of the question he could have some special moments as postseason play unfolds.
“It’s been challenging,” said Martin, referring to his knee. “But as long as I’m able to play and go, I think that’s just the main thing — I’m able to get out there and give it as much as I can. And as long as I’m OK to go out there and play again, that’s good.”
Kansas has won 38 consecutive senior day games. A win Saturday against Texas gives Kansas at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title.
“You come to Kansas to play under pressure, and play in pressure games like that,” said Teahan. “You’re held to a different level of standard here. You’re expected to do this, expected to do that. And so, that’s … pressure we put on ourselves regardless of the game or stuff like that.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism