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Former Xavier forward Justin Martin transfers to SMU, eligible immediately

NC State v Xavier

Getty Images

Getty Images

Former Xavier forward Justin Martin announced through his personal Twitter account on Tuesday night that he had committed to SMU. He has immediate eligibility.

Martin decided to transfer in April and had visited West Virginia and Florida State in addition to SMU.

The 6-foot-6 Martin was second on Xavier in scoring and rebounding last season at 11.7 points and 5.2 boards per game. He will look to continue that production in the Mustangs frontline, which returns American Athletic Conference second team selection Markus Kennedy. SMU should also feature one of the nation’s top back courts with leading scorer Nic Moore and five-star incoming freshman Emmanuel Mudiay.

Martin, who played in two NCAA tournaments in his three years with the Musketeers, will provide added experience and depth to a program that is looking to return to the tournament for the first time since 1993. Despite spending time in the top-25 this past season, that drought continued for the Mustangs, who were left out of the field of 68 due to a weak non-conference schedule. That shouldn’t be the case in 2014-2015 with games against Gonzaga and Michigan scheduled.

With Louisville now in the ACC and UConn losing three starters from its title-winning team, SMU is pegged as the favorite in the American, and is arguably a preseason top-10 team.

Follow @terrence_payne