Former Memphis star eager to join forces with Wichita State’s AfterShocks in TBT

Jeremiah Martin doesn’t think he will ever forget the first time he played at Koch Arena.

He smiles when he thinks about Feb. 23, 2019 during his senior year at Memphis and recalls scoring 29 of his 37 points in the second half to lead a double-digit comeback for an 88-85 win over Wichita State that left the home crowd in stunned silence.

“I remember that game like it was yesterday,” Martin said while looking at the exact court some five years later.

Martin’s professional basketball career has led him back to Wichita, where the 6-foot-3 guard is expected to be a key contributor to Wichita State’s alumni team, the AfterShocks, in The Basketball Tournament . The team plays its opening game at noon Saturday against Midtown Prestige at Koch Arena.

“I know (Martin) is glad to be back in here,” joked Markis McDuffie, who was on the 2018-19 WSU team that lost twice to Martin’s Tigers that season. “But he’s with us now. He’s a hell of a player and we’re glad to have him. I know he wants to be on the other side of this atmosphere too. He sees it and he loves it.”

Martin has actually been back in the Roundhouse since his college days, as he played for the Beale Street Boys in last year’s TBT regional in Wichita. That time, however, it was the AfterShocks that engineered a 21-point comeback to hand Martin a loss.

That experience stuck with Martin, who was also impressed with WSU fans from his college days.

“After playing here last summer and then in college, that played a big part in me wanting to come join the team,” Martin said. “It was really fun playing here because the atmosphere was so great. It was definitely one of the toughest arenas to play in the American.”

When it became clear Memphis would not enter an alumni team this summer, Martin became one of the top free agents in the TBT field.

After finishing with 1,625 career points at Memphis, Martin enjoyed a two-year stint in the NBA from 2019-21. He appeared in 18 games and scored 86 points, including an appearance in the NBA bubble to play for the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.

Since his career moved to Europe, Martin has graduated to one of the best leagues in the world, VTB United, where the 28-year-old averaged 18.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 54% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers for BC Enisey.

“The addition of Jeremiah Martin is going to be really big for us,” AfterShocks coach Zach Bush said. “He had a really good year in Russia in a really good league and he’s just gotten better and better. His professional trajectory is going in the same way as a lot of our guys. We think he’s going to be able to be a scorer and facilitator for us and kind of be a co-lead guard with Conner (Frankamp).”

When making his choice for TBT, Martin said the AfterShocks’ history of winning and fan support won out.

“The atmosphere here is always great and it kind of gets you ready for going back overseas,” Martin said. “There’s a lot of really good competition. Obviously we’re all here to win the money, but I also want to get myself ready for this upcoming season by playing against good competition at game speed.”

The AfterShocks believe Martin’s offensive firepower gives the team its best chance at reaching the final to play for the $1 million prize.

His quickness makes him a threat to attack the basket, while his smooth left-handed jump shot has been a problem for defenders to stop for years. In particular, his step-back that flows into a 3-pointer has become a lethal move in his arsenal. Following his fifth year as a professional, Martin feels like his game is as refined as ever.

“I definitely feel like I’m getting better and better every year and I’m growing,” Martin said. “The biggest thing is that it feels like the game is slowing down for me. There’s levels to this. So I just want to give myself the best chance to win and I think this team has for sure some potential.”

Wichita Regional TBT bracket, schedule, game times

Saturday, July 20

Noon: No. 1 AfterShocks (Wichita State alumni) vs. No. 8 Midtown Prestige on FS1

2 p.m.: No. 4 Purple Reign (Kansas State alumni) vs. No. 5 Team Colorado (Colorado alumni) on FS2

5 p.m.: No. 3 Florida TNT vs. No. 6 LA Cheaters on TBT streaming

7 p.m.: No. 2 Mass Street (Kansas alumni) vs. No. 7 Ram Up (Colorado State alumni) on TBT streaming

Monday, July 22

6 p.m.: Florida TNT-LA Cheaters winner vs. Mass Street-Ram Up winner on TBT streaming

8 p.m.: AfterShocks-Midtown Prestige winner vs. Purple Reign-Team Colorado winner on FS1

Wednesday, July 24

8 p.m.: Regional championship game on FS1