Martins Igbanu Explained

Martins Igbanu
Position:Small forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:8
Weight Lb:235
Team:Tokyo Hachioji Bee Trains
League:B.League
Number:9
Nationality:Nigerian
Birth Date:April 12, 1997
Birth Place:Lagos, Nigeria
High School:Covenant Christian Ministries Academy
(Marietta, Georgia)
College:Tulsa (2016–2020)
Draft Year:2020
Career Start:2020
Years1:2020–2021
Team1:Mladost Zemun
Years2:2021
Team2:Denain Voltaire Basket
Years3:2021–2022
Team3:Rouen Métropole Basket
Years4:2022
Team4:Caen Basket Calvados
Years5:2022–2023
Team5:BC Boncourt
Years6:2023
Team6:Niigata Albirex BB
Years7:2024-present
Team7:Tokyo Hachioji Bee Trains
Highlights:
  • First-team All-AAC (2020)
  • AAC Sixth Man of the Year (2020)

Martins Igbanu (born April 12, 1997) is a Nigerian professional basketball player who last played for Niigata Albirex BB of the B.League. He played college basketball for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Early life and high school career

Igbanu grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and played soccer as a child. At the age of 14, he decided to try basketball and practiced every day at Rowe Park. When he was 15, Igbanu came to the United States and enrolled at Covenant Christian Ministries Academy in Marietta, Georgia. He initially felt homesick and was planning to travel back to Nigeria when his mother convinced him to stay longer.[1] As a senior, he averaged 19.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 block per game.[2] In September 2015, Igbanu committed to play at Tulsa over offers from Cincinnati, Iowa State and Tennessee.[3] "I wanted to go to a good school where I could play basketball and also receive the best education, like TU offers," he said.[4]

College career

Igbanu averaged 6.3 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor as a freshman. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, shooting and 52.9 percent from the field.[5] Igbanu averaged 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a junior.[6] After struggling during nonconference play of his senior season, Igbanu began coming off the bench and his scoring improved. On February 9, 2020, he scored a career-high 30 points in an 83–75 loss to UCF.[7] As a senior, Igbanu averaged 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.[8] He earned First Team All-American Athletic Conference as well as conference Sixth Man of the Year honors.[9]

Professional career

On September 16, 2020, Igbanu signed his first professional contract with Mladost Zemun of the Adriatic League and the Basketball League of Serbia.[10] He averaged 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game in the Serbian league. On July 9, 2021, Igbanu signed with Denain Voltaire Basket of the LNB Pro B.[11] On November 3, he signed with Rouen Métropole Basket.[12] Igbanu signed with Caen Basket Calvados of the Nationale Masculine 1 on January 3, 2022.[13]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17| style="text-align:left;"| Tulsa| 32 || 19 || 15.3 || .559 || .556 || .589 || 4.0 || .3 || .2 || .3 || 6.3|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18| style="text-align:left;"| Tulsa| 31 || 23 || 22.5 || .529 || .286 || .720 || 5.1 || .5 || .3 || .2 || 9.4|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19| style="text-align:left;"| Tulsa| 32 || 32 || 27.1 || .616 || .000 || .661 || 5.7 || .7 || .6 || .3 || 12.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Tulsa| 31 || 12 || 26.6 || .561 || .333 || .691 || 5.0 || .8 || .5 || .3 || 13.6|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 126 || 86 || 22.9 || .570 || .333 || .670 || 5.0 || .6 || .4 || .3 || 10.4

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hines . Kelly . TU basketball: For forward Martins Igbanu, a home away from home . September 17, 2020 . . February 28, 2020.
  2. Web site: INTRODUCING … Martins Igbanu . . September 17, 2020 . July 7, 2016.
  3. News: Clark . Pam . TU basketball: 6-8 forward Martins Igbanu commits to Tulsa . September 17, 2020 . . September 16, 2015.
  4. Web site: Tulsa: A home away from home for Martins Igbanu . . September 17, 2020 . September 12, 2019.
  5. Web site: Lewis . Larry . Ugboh and Igbanu: Iron sharpens iron . . September 17, 2020 . October 31, 2019.
  6. News: Hines . Kelly . TU men host Rockhurst in exhibition . September 17, 2020 . . October 30, 2019.
  7. News: C. Florida registers surprise beating Tulsa 83-75 . September 17, 2020 . . . February 9, 2020.
  8. News: Igoe . Stephen . Dooley gives his take on Gardner being left off first team . September 17, 2020 . 247 Sports . March 25, 2020.
  9. News: Hines . Kelly . TU's Frank Haith named AAC coach of the year; Martins Igbanu named sixth man of the year . September 17, 2020 . . March 11, 2020.
  10. Web site: KK Mladost Z Admiral Zemun tabs rookie Martins Igbanu in his first year in pro basketball . Eurobasket . September 17, 2020 . September 16, 2020.
  11. Web site: Denain inks Martins Igbanu . Eurobasket . July 9, 2021 . July 9, 2021.
  12. Web site: Martins Igbanu pigiste médical du RMB . . January 27, 2022 . French . November 3, 2021.
  13. News: Basket. Caen BC : Martins Igbanu, la bonne réputation . January 27, 2022 . Ouest France . French.