AMHERST — Amidst the maelstrom of college basketball’s off-season, Frank Martin exudes calm. The UMass men’s basketball coach’s trademark fiery on-court demeanor melts away into the Power-U monogrammed leather armchairs in the Champions Center meeting room.

“I’m at peace right now. I comprehend the moment, I comprehend the guys on the roster, I have a better feel for the Atlantic 10 – all those things,” Martin said Tuesday.

His first season leading the Minutemen didn’t end the way he or anyone involved in or around the program wanted. A torrid start capped with a Myrtle Beach Invitational title gave way to injuries and inconsistency in defensive effort. UMass exited the Atlantic 10 tournament on its opening day for the first time since 2019 with a season-low scoring output and program-worst margin of defeat in a conference tournament. 

“You find out the truth in the season. Players really find out about each other. Players find out about me. You're together through adversity, good times, bad times. You find out the truth,” Martin said.

Six UMass players have entered the transfer portal in the past three weeks, including All A-10 rookie team member R.J. Luis on Tuesday. Four players predated Martin’s arrival: Noah Fernandes, T.J. Weeks Jr., Dyondre Dominguez and John Kelly, while Luis and former top-50 recruit Tafara Gapare signed with Martin and departed after one year in Amherst.

“We got hired in March, we started recruiting some guys that got here in April that we took on people's word. We took on talent and wasn't maybe somebody that we had that kind of relationship with at the time,” Martin said.

While six players represents more than a third of UMass’ roster, it doesn’t stand out compared to college basketball as a whole. More than 1,300 players had entered the portal as of Tuesday morning. That averages out to 3.6 transfers per program.

“It's unbelievable the world that we've created as the adults. We created this moment. We can't sit around and complain about it,” Martin said. “I’m not anti transfer. Divorce is legal. No one should be in an unhealthy relationship, but I think there’s better ways to do it. We created this new window. I can sit around and (mimics crying and whining), but then I’m cheating the guys that are going to be here and I’m cheating the guys that are going to come here.”

That includes the likes of Matt Cross and Wildens Leveque, who both battled through injuries and illness last season but returned to action. Martin said Leveque recently had a procedure on both knees and will be shut down from all running activity for the next three months. 

UMass also signed four players in the fall that Martin has been recruiting since he arrived last March: Jayden Ndjigue, Robert Davis Jr., Marquis Worthy and Sawyer Mayhugh.

“I still believe in freshmen. I know some coaches are running around saying I'll never sign another freshman again. I don't think I'm going to fall into that world,” Martin said. “You hear them when you walk into the gym. You don't know who they are because they dunk, you know who they are because you hear their voice. There's an enthusiasm to know that we're adding that to our team. And now here in the spring is we're trying to figure out the other parts, the other components that we're trying to bring in.”

Martin doesn’t know how many players will come in. It depends on how many more leave. Coaches used to have a clearer idea who would transfer or who would be on their teams from year to year because NCAA rules limited player movement.

“In the spring you have to be prepared to just play the replacement game. I don't know another way to explain it. We the adults have created this moment, and now we're asking the coaches to manage it as if there's a manual or there's past experience on how to manage this moment,” Martin said. “We had no idea, and any coach that tells you that they’ve got it figured out is lying to you. We’ve got no idea. This is brand new, unprecedented, things that are happening right now. With NIL, immediate eligibility and transfers at the same time, we've allowed for some crazy stuff to happen through third parties right now.

“It's brutal,” he continued. “I live life searching for the truth. When I have the truth, I'm at peace. When I'm searching for the truth, I'm agitated and I'm exhausted, but I don't stop until I find it. Right now I’m trying to find the truth and recruiting in this moment when right now, it's really complicated.”

Martin does know what kind of player he’ll be looking for, though. It starts with character and a willingness to be a part of a greater whole.

“It's the moment we're in. We got to figure it out. We can complain or we can figure it out. I choose to figure it out. It's about guys that are selfless that want to come in and work and coexist with others,” Martin said. “That’s how I've always built my programs everywhere from my high school days to now, and I'm not going to let this moment change me. I'm going to stay the course and we're going to build it with people that want to coexist with others and hopefully, we can earn relationships where we can live in the truth so we have a better idea of what future recruiting is going to be like and we're not scrambling trying to recruit somebody in the spring.”

Martin also pointed out that 43 percent of Division 1 football and men’s basketball players that entered the portal transferred to a non-NCAA school or withdrew from their sport, according to figures released by the NCAA. He compared the situation to what it takes to build a successful marriage.

“Where you build relationships is when you stay the course and you stay together with somebody,” Martin said. “That's what life's about, man. It's about two people that are competitors staying the course. It's easy to get married. It's hard to stay married.”

He’s focusing more on the players that are still at UMass and will be there in the future.

“I’m too old to get my feelings hurt anymore. If I’m not sexy enough for somebody, let them find who’s sexy. If UMass isn’t good enough for them, let them find who’s good enough for them,” Martin said. “I’m gonna find someone like my wife who thought I was sexy enough. But she’s willing to fight the fight to stay with me. I still live in a world of loyalty. It’s my job to do my part and it’s my job to find the people that want to be a part of that.”

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