March 17, 2004

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina guard Kevin Martin, who just completed his junior season with the Catamounts, has announced that he will declare for the upcoming National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. However, he will not retain the services of an agent in order to keep his collegiate eligibility intact.

"I've decided to make myself eligible for the draft," Martin said. "I feel that this is the right time for me to seize this opportunity. Though I have every intention of being drafted by and playing for an NBA team, I intend to maintain my eligibility in the event that I choose to return to school. (Head) Coach (Steve) Shurina and Western Carolina were the ones who made my first dream come true and put me in a position to pursue my next dream."

"Kevin has always had a dream to play in the NBA and it is his decision at this time to test those waters," Shurina said. "It is too early to tell if his timing is right and we are keeping the door wide open for his return. I have always said that Kevin Martin will be an NBA pick. The question is, will the NBA be ready for Kevin at this time?"

Martin, who currently ranks second nationally in scoring, ended the 2003-04 season as the Southern Conference scoring champion for the second consecutive season with a 24.9 average. He ranked 11th nationally in scoring as a freshman (22.1 ppg) and 10th nationally in scoring as a sophomore (22.8 ppg). Martin is a three-time, first team All-Southern Conference pick and, this past season, he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District teams.

A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Martin has scored 1,838 points through three seasons at Western. His total ranks fourth on the WCU all-time list, while ranking as the Catamounts' leading scorer since the school joined the NCAA Division I ranks for the 1976-77 season. Western Carolina's all-time top three scorers include Henry Logan (3,290 points from 1965-68), Mel Gibson (2,021 points from 1960-63) and Ronald Rogers (1,960 points from 1950-53).

Martin also ranks among the WCU career leaders in 3-pointers made (third with 174), 3-pointers attempted (third with 503), free throws made (third with 534) and steals (ninth with 134). While he still has one more year of eligibility, his career scoring average of 23.3 currently ranks third and his 84.1 career free throw percentage currently ranks second.

On the WCU single-season lists, his 673 points in 2003-04 ranks ninth, his 24.9 2003-04 season scoring average ranks eighth and his 206 free throws made in 2003-04 ranks sixth.