Gopher Basketball Recruiting: Richard Pitino Picks Up First Commitment to Class of 2014 with Josh Martin

Josh Martin is a forward from Washington state and he has committed to play for the Golden Gophers.

Officially committing I the university of Minnesota #SkiUMah

— Josh (AVATAR) Martin (@JoshMartin_206) September 30, 2013

The Measurables

Position: PF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 210
Hometown: Bothell, Washington (Bothell HS)

More Details

Martin transferred to Bothell High School to pair with UCLA commit, Zach LaVine.  The two led Bothell to the State quarterfinals last season.  The move was more financially motivated than basketball.

"Josh is a terrific young man," Kelly said. "We'll miss him and wish him the best of luck."

Debbie Martin said the move "is not a basketball-motivated situation" and had kind words for Kelly.

"He loved our son and treated him with love and respect," she said. "From a basketball aspect, we have no complaints. It was just an emerging (financial) situation and we needed to stop the bleeding."

Scott Martin, Josh's father, is a contratctor and the family also operates a small espresso stand. Both businesses have struggled the past few years with the economic downturn, Debbie Martin said.

Martin had essentially narrowed down his recruitment to Minnesota, Florida State and Pitt.  He essentially had his mind made up last weekend but wanted to confirm it with his trip to Pitt.

"I just felt the best connection when I was down in Minnesota, which made the decision a little less strenuous.I kind of had it in my mind when I left Minnesota that I wanted to go to Minnesota, but I defiitely wanted to make sure that it was the right decision. It was right when I came back from Pittsburgh that I was like 'Yeah, I'm feeling Minnesota the most.'

Seems like he is a good kid with a good work ethic.

Video

Analysis

Martin is an athletic forward who should thrive running the floor for the Gophers.  He will need to improve his overall skill set (dribbling, shooting, footwork) to catch up with his athleticism.

It will also be interesting to see how much Martin grows over the next year or two and where he ends up playing for the Gophers.  Will he be an undersized PF, which might be acceptable in the Pitino system if he is able to defend bigger guys.  Or will he develop his skill set more and be able to play as a big, small forward?

Ultimately I think this kid is a good fit and will eventually be a good player for the Gophers.  He may not make an immediate impact but overall I like this addition and it is a nice start to the 2014 class.