HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State women’s basketball guard Imari Martin is the program’s first National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I 1st-team All-American.
Martin, a sophomore, earned the recognition on Tuesday after leading Wallace State to a 24-6 record and to the program’s first NJCAA Division I National Championship berth since 2015. She’s the first Wallace State women’s basketball player to earn NJCAA All-American recognition since Morgan Smith was a 2nd-team selection in 2015.
“This is awesome for Imari and the program. We had high expectations for Imari when she came to our program, and she exceeded all of those expectations. I’m proud of everything she’s accomplished. Imari plays the game the right way and does whatever is asked of her. She’s one of the best players I’ve watched on this level,” said Wallace State women’s coach Jessica McBrayer.
Martin, a Hazel Green graduate, carved out a fantastic Wallace State career. She scored 1,086 career points in two seasons at Wallace State, becoming the first Lady Lion to surpass the 1,000-point milestone in 14 years. Martin, a 5-foot-5 guard, led the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) in scoring and assists. She averaged 21.8 points per game and dished out 147 assists. She also drained 81 3-pointers.
“Imari could knock down a big 3-pointer or go to the rim and score. She was the answer when we needed a bucket. She also defended and distributed the ball well. It’s hard to find a combination like that from one player. It’s special to have a player like that in your program for two seasons,” McBrayer said.
Martin was also named the 2020 ACCC/Region 22 Player of the Year, the ACCC North Division Player of the Year, an ACCC North Division First Team member and an ACCC All-Tournament selection.
Martin, a Jacksonville State commit, was named the ACCC Player of the Week on five occasions. She scored 30 or more points in five games and 20+ points in 17 games.
As a freshman at Wallace State, Martin earned a second-team nod on the All-ACCC Region 22 and All-North Division teams. She averaged 13.9 points per game and dished out 156 assists, which was second in the conference. It led to her receiving an invitation to play in the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game last July.
Martin is the latest NJCAA 1st-team All-American at Wallace State after men’s basketball’s Demarkus Lampley earned the same recognition last season.
View all NJCAA Division I women’s All-Americans here: https://www.njcaa.org/sports/wbkb/2019-20/div1/all-americans/index
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit www.athletics.wallacestate.edu or the athletics Facebook page at www.wallacestate.edu/athleticsfb.
