The Wolfpacker

36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Rivals.com ranked Caleb Martin No. 60 overall in the class of 2014, and Cody Mar- tin settled in at No. 81. ESPN rated Caleb at No. 62 and Cody at No. 91 nationally. The Martin twins helped Oak Hill finish 41-4 overall and No. 4 in the USA Today national rankings, aided in part by a runner- up finish at the Dick's Sporting Goods High School National Tournament in New York City this spring The Martin twins both earned a spot in the Capital Classic All-Star Game April 26 in Alexandria, Va. Caleb went 6 of 10 from the field for 13 points in 19 minutes, and Cody went 6 of 9 for 14 points in 20 minutes. Caleb also was selected to the Ball Is Life All-Star Game May 3 in Long Beach, Calif., and Cody was picked for the Josh Level Classic May 2 at Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High. NC State, Wake Forest, VCU, Miami, Tennessee and Virginia Tech all gave the Martin twins the chance to play together in college. The dogged pursuit of NC State assistant coach Rob Moxley, plus the early groundwork of assistant coach Bobby Lutz, helped the Wolfpack win out. Cody Martin Is Eager To Compete The move to Oak Hill Academy helped Cody Martin in a number of ways, but per- haps most importantly, he could play his natural position of small forward. Martin usually plays small forward, while his twin brother Caleb handles the shooting guard position. Cody tends to get more action in the paint, and Caleb shoots more jump shots. In other areas of the game such as defense, passing, ballhandling, and getting dunks or layups in the open floor, there isn't much difference between the 6-6 wings, who graduate from Oak Hill May 17. Cody Martin averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for Oak Hill. He shot 51.8 percent from the field, while making 31.9 percent on three-pointers and 65.3 percent at the free-throw line. He added 41 blocks and 87 steals in 45 games, while finishing with 67 dunks. Martin believes the experience of playing his natural small forward position for a full year will help him adjust to the rigors of NC State and playing in the ACC. "I got to shoot more shots and got to dribble, and my all-around confidence went up," said Cody, who will wear No. 15 at NC State. "I worked on it day in, day out, along with my shooting and dribbling. I'm a better passer now." Perhaps more important than the well- rounded statistics was Martin's approach to the game. He didn't take a backseat to any of his decorated teammates and proved to have what his coaches called "having more alpha dog." His aggressive nature was never more evident than when Oak Hill Academy was down 34-20 with 6:30 left in the third quar- ter to Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep in the semifinals of the Dick's Sporting Goods tournament. Oak Hill threw the press on, and a loaded Findlay Prep squad, featuring Rivals' No. 6- and No. 8-ranked seniors in the country and No. 24-rated sophomore nationally, started coughing up the basketball in droves to fin- Rivals.com tabbed Caleb Martin (left) No. 60 and his brother Cody No. 81 in its final na- tional rankings for the class of 2014. PHOTO BY RON BAILEY BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State head coach Mark Gottfried was hired in April 2011, and it didn't take long for Gottfried and his staff to offer twin brothers Caleb Martin and Cody Martin, who played three years at Mocksville (N.C.) Davie County before finishing up at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. The 6-6, 192-pound wings, then sophomores, were offered scholarships Dec. 9, 2011, and eventually verbally committed to NC State Oct. 18, 2012, before getting to sign this past November with the Wolfpack. The Martin twins will be the lone in-state scholarship players on the NC State roster next winter. TWO OF A KIND Identical Twin Brothers Caleb And Cody Martin Will Bring Strong Work Ethics, Athleticism And Skill To The Wolfpack 36-38.Martin Twins.indd 36 4/29/14 1:24 PM

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