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Atmosphere Big Draw for Tynice Martin
October 01, 2015 10:01 AM | General
Over the next few weeks, WVUsports.com will highlight members of the 2015-16 West Virginia University women’s basketball team. The third installment of this feature includes freshman guard Tynice Martin.
Transitioning from Atlanta to Morgantown can be a difficult adjustment. However, freshman guard Tynice Martin has relished the opportunity to be a part of a tight-knit community at West Virginia University.
“I picked WVU because of the atmosphere,” said Martin. “It’s a college town, so everybody knows each other. I feel like we have more exposure here than other schools because there aren’t distractions like pro teams.”
The Atlanta, Georgia, native was ranked as the 16th-best wing player by ESPN HoopGurlz and FullCourt.com listed Martin as the 22nd-best prospect for the class of 2015 in the publication’s yearly Fresh 50.
She credits part of her success to the tough competition she faced in Atlanta. As many women’s basketball fans know, Atlanta is a hotbed for basketball and played at a very high level.
“It helped me because we were playing against strong competition every night,” noted Martin. “In Atlanta, you are playing a lot of ranked girls and pretty good teams. You look and learn from the people above you.”
Martin started her high school career at Southwest DeKalb and transferred to Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for her senior campaign. She helped guide the Southwest DeKalb Panthers to a state title in 2013, as the team ranked 22nd nationally. Martin won numerous district and state honors, including the 2015 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Class A North Player of the Year.
During her senior season, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy fell in a buzzer beater for the state title.
“I felt like we should have won,” said Martin. “I got hurt early in the fourth quarter. It slowed me down, but it was a good experience.”
Playing Division I basketball isn’t easy, but Martin credits the Mountaineers’ trip to Europe with easing the path.
“It helped me develop because we played against pros,” exclaimed Martin. “It’s not Big 12 play, but it is a little taste of what we are getting into. It helped me get a lot of my freshman mistakes out during the summer, so when we do play, it will be a little easier.”
Another influence for Martin has been her father Terry. He lettered at Auburn University in the 1980s and eventually played basketball overseas. Martin credits her father with helping her develop as a basketball player. Now, she’s ready for her next challenge – Big 12 basketball.
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