Caleb, Cody Martin to leave NC State

One of the constants in a difficult season for N.C. State was the effort of twins Caleb and Cody Martin. The Wolfpack will have to improve next season without the Martins.

The sophomore twins announced their decision to leave N.C. State on Thursday. They are the fourth and fifth scholarship players to transfer out of the program in the past four years.

Caleb Martin, a 6-7, 215-pound wing, averaged 11.5 points and started 19 games. Cody Martin, a 6-7, 210-pound wing, started the final 16 games and was one of the best defensive players on the team. He averaged 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

The twins had plenty of minutes this past season, with the Wolfpack falling back from a Sweet 16 team a year ago to 16-17 overall, but they had concerns about their role in coach Mark Gottfried’s system going forward.

“They felt like they didn’t fit into the offensive scheme,” said Jared Eure, their stepfather. “They loved playing at N.C. State, and in the ACC, but ultimately they wanted to try something different.”

Even after losing junior guard Cat Barber to the NBA draft on Tuesday, N.C. State had a potential logjam at the three perimeter positions next season. Senior guard Terry Henderson is expected to return from an ankle injury. Guards Maverick Rowan and Shaun Kirk are expected to return for their sophomore seasons.

Combo guard Torin Dorn is eligible after sitting after transferring from Charlotte. Add in freshman point guard Dennis Smith and Gottfried still has five scholarship players for three guard spots.

Caleb Martin averaged 30.5 minutes per game this season and Cody averaged 25.8. There was probably room for one twin to play extensively next season but not both.

In a statement released by the school, both twins thanked the fans for their support.

“It definitely was not an easy decision for us, but we feel that is best that we move on,” Cody Martin said in the school’s release.

The plan is for the twins to transfer to the same the school, their stepfather said. There’s a remote possibility they could graduate early and be eligible next season, Eure said, but it’s more likely they will sit out the year.

“They want to take this chance to improve and work on their game,” Eure said.

The twins haven’t been in contact with any other school, Eure said, but hope to make a decision by the end of April.

Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and VCU recruited the twins, who are from Mocksville, out of high school. It’s unlikely N.C. State will allow them to transfer to another ACC school.

“The recruiting process starts all over again,” Eure said.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Caleb, Cody Martin to leave NC State."