University of Connecticut Athletics
Hawks Sign Tyrese Martin To Multi-Year Contract
7/16/2022 2:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / July 16, 2022
ATLANTA – Former UConn guard Tyrese Martin officially lifted his basketball career to the highest level Saturday when the NBA's Atlanta Hawks announced they had signed Martin to a multi-year contract.
As per team policy, the details of the contract were not announced, but media in Atlanta cited sources that said it was a two-year deal. Martin was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st pick of the 2022 NBA Draft and immediately traded to the Hawks.
Martin has proven himself to the Hawks with an outstanding performance in the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and shooting 47.5 percent in 24.2 minutes per game through four games, including a 21-point effort on 9-of-14 shooting, with two 3-pointers, in a 95-88 win over Miami on July 12. The Hawks' final Summer League game is set for Saturday.
Martin, who graduated from UConn in May with a degree in Sociology, has made the most of every basketball opportunity he has had since helping UConn post a 23-10 season and make a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021-22.
On Final Four weekend in New Orleans, the 6-6 guard led all scorers with 22 points to spark the East Team to a 115-103 victory in the NABC-Reese's College All-Star Game. He then joined UConn teammate R.J. Cole to win the Dos Equis 3x3 National Championship, which was worth $17,500 for each of them.
He then went on to the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational and was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 19.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the three games.
That performance earned Martin an invitation to the NBA G League Elite Camp, a four-day showcase in Chicago, where another solid performance, including a 13-point,14-rebound game, earned him a spot in the NBA Draft Combine.
On June 23, he became the 45th UConn player all-time to be taken in the NBA Draft and the 33rd Husky taken in the first or second rounds. He was the only player from the BIG EAST Conference to be selected in the draft.
Martin, a native of Allentown, Pa., was a two-year starter at UConn after transferring from the University of Rhode Island and was a major contributor as the Huskies successfully transitioned to the BIG EAST Conference.
Last season as a senior, Martin averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He shot 44.9 percent overall and an impressive 43.0 percent from 3-point range. He had 21 double-figure scoring games and five double-doubles. As a junior, he led the BIG East in offensive rebounds (3.0) and led UConn in rebounding (7.5). He was selected to the 2022 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District I Team.Â
Combining his statistics at Rhode Island and UConn, Martin scored 1,271 points and grabbed 767 rebounds in his college career.
