LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin waited months to put on a show.
He finally got his chance against Florida on Saturday.
With the Tigers and Gators tied at 26 in the first half, Florida sophomore guard Kasey Hill lobbed the ball toward senior forward Jacob Kurtz at the top of the key.
The 6-foot-10 Martin intercepted the errant pass, raced down the court and shocked the 9,203 at the PMAC with a thunderous, between-the-legs slam.
But fans weren’t the only people stunned at what they had witnessed — some of the players were, too.
“When he did that, it was like a shock wave went throughout the building,” said LSU junior guard Keith Hornsby. “Everybody was just like, ‘Whoa.’”
But Martin’s emphatic jam wasn’t his singular highlight during the Tigers’ 70-63 win against Florida. It was only one in a career performance full of them for the Baton Rouge native.
Martin exploded for a personal-best 28 points, eclipsing his previous high of 26, on a sharp, 8-of-15 mark from the floor. Martin also grabbed 13 rebounds, giving him 11 double-doubles on the season.
But Martin said he didn’t do anything extraordinary against the Gators. The Preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection just did what he does best.
“That’s my strength, getting to the basket,” Martin said. “That’s something I enjoy. [That’s how] I can impact the game: Getting to the free throw line and making plays at the rim.”
Before playing Florida, Martin had spent more time on the bench than at the rim because of constant foul trouble. With Martin riding the pine, the Tigers split matches against Tennessee and Texas A&M while he only provided a combined 22 points.
But Martin wasn’t going to let his nine fouls in the last two games slow down his aggressiveness. He attacked the Gators from the opening tip, never relenting for fear of a potential whistle, which was precisely how LSU coach Johnny Jones instructed Martin to play.
“When we first started [SEC] play, Coach Jones had a long talk with me about how I wasn’t shooting many free throws or getting to the basket,” Martin said. “I made that my main priority, coming out in the beginning of games and attacking the basket because I’ll have a higher percentage in the paint and at the rim.”
Martin tallied 16 points in the first half, scoring on a few transition buckets, a baseline fadeaway and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer before the break.
Of course, no play was more memorable than his between-the-legs slam, which was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Saturday night. It also helped him earn a Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week nomination.
Though Martin’s jam may have been a surprise to the fans, it wasn’t to him.
Martin repeatedly told his teammates throughout the season he would attempt the acrobatic dunk if he ever got open on a fast break. But after months went by with nothing to show, some of his teammates jokingly questioned whether he could actually do it.
“He told me that like two months ago,” said LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman. “When that time passed, you just started not believing him. It was like, ‘Dude, you told me that two months ago and you’ve had 16 fast breaks since then.’”
Thanks to an off-target pass, Martin got the fast break he’d been hoping for and finally had his chance to dazzle the crowd.
“I wanted to give our fans something,” Martin said. “They’ve been coming out and supporting us all year long. I wanted to give them something that would get them out of their seats.”
Not everyone was pleased with Martin’s animated dunk, including his coach. With the game tied at that point, Jones said he would’ve preferred Martin go for a safer basket rather than one with the “extra stuff.”
But after watching his team squander an early 12-0 lead and lull through a 7:38 scoring drought, Jones acknowledged it may have been the spark the Tigers needed.
“It got the students excited and it got our fans excited, but I know how it would’ve been if he had kicked it up there to the student section if it hadn’t gone the right way,” Jones said.
Florida center Jon Horford was less cordial.
“I wish I was closer,” Horford said. “I would have tackled him.”
A tackle may have been Horford’s better option.
Martin’s slam kickstarted a 7-0 LSU spurt to end the first half. The Madison Prep product capped off the run with an NBA-range 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, sending the crowd into another frenzy and sinking Florida coach Billy Donovan deeper into frustration.
But after watching Martin have his way with the Gators, Donovan said there was simply nothing his team could do to slow down the future professional baller, adding few can.
“We don’t have anyone that can handle him one-on-one,” Donovan said. “We never have and never will. He’s a terrific player. He can do it on his own. I think there’s very few guys in the country where you can throw them the ball any spot on the floor and he can create a play for himself.”
Martin backed up Donovan’s claim in the second half.
After torching the Gators at the rim in the first 20 minutes, Martin used his much-improved shot to kill off any potential game-saving run from Florida.
Martin hit two mid-range jumpers at different points in the second half to give LSU double-digit leads. The first a one-dribble, step-back jumper from the wing, and the other a deep catch-and-shoot after a pick-and-roll with Quarterman.
He also drained six of his career-high 11 free throws in the second half.
Whether Martin decides to attack the lane or shoot from the outside, it all depends on how teams defend him. He’s comfortable doing both.
“I take what the defense gives me,” Martin said. “If they give me a lane where I can drive and get to the basket, I’ll do that. If they kick off of me and I have a pretty good shot, I’ll take the jump shot. It’s just a matter of taking what they give me.”
On Saturday, the defense gave him a chance to fulfill a long-time dream — a video-game like dunk few players think about doing and even less dare to attempt in an actual game.
“I would have did a crazy dunk, but I wouldn’t have went between the legs,” Quarterman said. “That’s why I say he’s the man. He’s the man right now. I’ll give it to him.”
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR.