If toughness is a key criteria, then Muskegon senior James Martin might have a leg up on the rest of the Mr. Basketball Award field.

Martin, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward who has committed to the University of Detroit Mercy, returns as the spark for a young, but deep, Muskegon team after missing the final 13 games last season with a broken left arm.

“I think he is back and better than ever,” said 14th-year Muskegon coach Keith Guy, who coached back-to-back Mr. Basketball winners in Deshaun Thrower (2014) and Deyonta Davis (2015).

“A lot of people kind of forgot about James because he’s been out. He is so tough and so versatile. He does whatever we need him to do.”

Martin hasn’t played for the Big Reds since Jan. 17, when he crashed to the floor during the first minute of their rivalry game at Muskegon Mona Shores and landed awkwardly on his left arm, resulting in two broken bones.

While the entire packed gym grimaced at the somewhat grotesque injury, Martin actually tried to keep going – briefly.

“I got up and was trying to put the bone back and fix my arm, running up the court,” the soft-spoken Martin recalled. “But then I started getting dizzy and went down.”

Martin had surgery the next morning in hopes of possibly being able to return last season, but the injury was too severe. The injury took its toll on Martin physically (he now has two plates and 14 screws in his arm), but even more so mentally and emotionally.

“At first, it was hard for me to even be around basketball because I wanted to be playing so bad,” Martin explained. “But the thing is, I’ve never really sat on the bench during games, so I felt like I learned a lot when I was out, just watching from a different perspective.”

Muskegon recovered from the loss of its star player and put together 10 straight wins at the end of last season before losing to Rockford in a Division 1 District Final on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Big Reds won 20 games last season for the 11th time in Guy’s 13 seasons as head coach, which has been highlighted by two championship game appearances – a 91-67 win over Bloomfield Hills in Class A in 2014 to complete a perfect 28-0 season and a 78-63 loss to Detroit Cass Tech in Division 1 in 2023.

This year’s team has hopes of getting back to the Breslin, led by the multi-talented Martin and a young, but extremely talented, supporting cast.

“James can honestly play anywhere from the 1 to the 5 at the high school level,” said Guy, noting that Martin was shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line last year before his injury. “He is a four-year varsity player who has the toughness and the work ethic that the rest of his teammates respect.”

Martin actually received three Division I college offers (Central Michigan, Bowling Green and Western Michigan) during the summer following his freshman year, when he averaged just five points and two rebounds per game in a support role.

His production increased to nine points, five rebounds and two assists per game his sophomore year, and he was off to a fast start last year as a junior, averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists through 10 games.

Now, he is determined to make the most of his return to the court for his senior year.

“My role this year is to attack the basket hard and get downhill as much as I can,” Martin said. “If people collapse on me, I can either draw a foul or kick it back out to my teammates.”

Among those waiting on the wings will be underclassmen marksmen Tyson Worthington, a 6-3 junior, and AJ Lambers, a 6-1 freshman, along with senior leaders Arquez Petty and Ehman Guster.

Guy said one of the strengths of this team entering the season is its long-range shooting.

“Having those guys out on the arc who can knock it down really spaces the floor and allows James and our other athletes to get to the basket,” said Guy, who is assisted on the varsity level by Josh Wall, Thrower and Takarri Churchwell. “I would say our depth and our shooting are big strengths going into this season.”

The Big Reds also have good size along the front line with senior Ky’ren Noble (6-5), juniors Ethan Matthews (6-6) and Jayvon Burmeister (6-4) and sophomore William Whyms (6-5).

Muskegon fans will have to wait until Dec. 12 to see their team play, as the Big Reds open at home against Upper Peninsula power Marquette before playing three holiday tournament games against Grand Ledge, Detroit University Prep and Ferndale. The Big Reds have won four consecutive Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championships and 11 league titles over the past 12 years.

Guy anticipates an exciting winter at Muskegon’s historic Redmond-Potter Gymnasium with Martin and also a legitimate Miss Basketball Award candidate in Mariah Sain, who coincidentally also missed more than half of last season with an injury.

“I love this group, and we are ready to get going,” said Guy, who stopped scheduling games for the first week of the regular season after Muskegon’s football team made the championship game in seven of eight years from 2012 to 2019.

“When James got injured last year, I looked down and every single kid on the bench was crying. Believe me, this is a big deal to these guys, and they are thankful every day to come into the gym and play the game of basketball.”

Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.

PHOTOS (Top) James Martin (1) puts up a shot from the top of the key during Muskegon’s matchup with Lansing Everett last season. (Middle) The 6-foot-4 Martin is returning this winter after missing more than half of last season with an injury. (Photos by Tim Reilly.)