Chicago — Talk about book-ending a season with a couple of moments that forever will be awfully memorable.
As he climbed the ladder to grab the scissors [to cut down a piece of his second championship net in three weeks,][1] Kansas guard Remy Martin heard chants of “Rem-y! Rem-y! Rem-y!” rain down on him from the United Center crowd.
It was the exact same sound that Martin first heard from Kansas fans back at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 3, 2021, when he dazzled in his unofficial debut as a Jayhawk during an exhibition win over Emporia State.
The love was the same and the antics and personality that inspired it seemed familiar, as well.
But the Martin who helped the Jayhawks clobber Miami 76-50 at the United Center on Sunday to earn a trip to this week’s Final Four in New Orleans is not the same player who Kansas fans first marveled at on the opening night of the season.
That Martin was an idea. [The one they saw this week is reality.][2] And that version — still smiling and still standing — has been through entirely too much during the past five months for anyone to possibly think he could be the same guy he was then.
He’s healthier, happier and he’s doing the exact thing that everyone thought and expected he would do when he committed to Kansas last May. Winning.
Never was that more meaningful than on Sunday in Chicago, when Martin helped propel the Jayhawks past Miami in the Elite Eight and heard his name called as the region’s Most Outstanding Player. When the honor was announced Martin said he did not know what it was for or that he had won.
While that might not be the Martin that so many saw during his four years at Arizona State, that is 100% the version that Kansas fans have seen in March. And as the talented guard with the Southern California style and ferocious game helps propel the Final-Four-bound Jayhawks to new heights, his appreciation for all those who helped him reach this point remains stronger than ever.
Asked Sunday if now, after the MOP honor and the Final Four celebration, would be the time that he could look at what this all means to him, Martin again deflected the credit to others.
“I mean, obviously it feels good,” he said of hearing his named chanted on the biggest stage in college basketball. “But my teammates, man. It’s really my teammates and coaches just sticking with me through ups and downs and just instilling more confidence in me. It’s all credit to them.”
Those words were almost exactly the same words he used to explain his recent run on Saturday, when previewing the matchup with Miami. And you’ll no doubt here them over and over again this week in New Orleans.
If he continues to play well, you just might hear the chants again, too.
But whether Martin wants to embrace his own role in this or continue to give all of the credit to those around him, what you’re seeing and watching is enough to show the entire picture.
Martin’s talent makes Kansas a tougher team and a legitimate national title contender. And his presence brings the rest of the squad to that level, too.
“I think Remy, in his core, always knew what he was capable of doing to help us,” Self said after Sunday’s win. “But we hadn’t really seen it yet because his health hadn’t allowed it. I think our guys have more of a swagger now knowing what Remy can do to make us better. And I think that gives us a little bit of extra confidence moving forward.”
At a time of the season when confidence — real or manufactured — can be the difference between advancing or going home, having a player like Martin, off of whom confidence drips in everything he does, can do wonders for everyone he’s around.
Because of this run and him finally living up to what Kansas fans so badly wanted to see him be, Martin will forever be loved by Jayhawk Nation.
But if he can find a way to turn that talent, confidence and sidekick swagger into two more wins, he could go down as a bona fide Kansas legend.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2022/mar/27/final-four-bound-kansas-powers-past-miami-second-h/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2022/mar/26/soaking-it-all-how-kansas-guard-remy-martin-embrac/
