UCLA Basketball Recruiting: Kenyon Martin, Jr. has the Bruins in his Top 4

Sierra Canyon power forward, Kenyon Martin, Jr., made a bit of a surprise move in naming his top four college choices as he has added the UCLA basketball program late in the process.

Recruiting is never guaranteed. Until the ink is on the paper, everything is fair game. The UCLA basketball program knows that all too well as they received a recruiting surprise on Wednesday.

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Three-star power forward Kenyon Martin, Jr. (Sierra Canyon HS/Chatsworth, CA), son of NBA great Kenyon Martin, named his final four schools which included UCLA along with Vanderbilt, TCU, and West Virginia.

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The 6’6, 195 lbs. Martin did not initially have UCLA on his radar, but that changed when Mick Cronin took over the program. Cronin has ties to the Martin family as he coach Kenyon Sr. at Cincinnati. The decision to add UCLA might also have to do with the fact that Sierra Canyon’s head coach Andre Chevalier is expected to interview for an assistant coaching position on Cronin’s staff. Currently, Cronin has only added one coach, his former assistant at Cincinnati, Darren Savino.

This is perfect timing for both UCLA and Martin as a scholarship recently opened up on the Bruins’ roster as freshman Moses Brown has declared for the NBA Draft. If Martin was to join the Bruins, he would quickly replenish the depth missing in the frontcourt due to Brown’s exit. UCLA will have big men Jalen Hill, Cody Riley, and Shareef O’Neal in heavy rotation next year, so adding Martin will give the Bruins another athletic body under the rim.

Martin is a beast on the offensive end as he can attack the rim with authority. He also has the skill to back down the opposition to get points in the paint. Last season, he nearly averaged a double-double with 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

Martin is also very active on the defensive end as he can be a fierce shot blocker and often forces a change in the direction of short-range shots, which will be a benefit to Cronin’s style of basketball.