MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge hopes junior guard Martin Somerville remains comfortable throughout his time in Morgantown, however long it may be.
That Sommerville finds comfort in being uncomfortable, however, is part of the reason he ended up at West Virginia.
The Mountaineers will be the third Division I program Sommerville has been with in as many years, and dating back to high school, it’s six schools across the last seven years for the 6-foot-3 native of Bowie, Md.
“I found beauty in change and beauty in being able to adapt in a new environment,” Somerville said. “I’m blessed to have lived in four different states in four years just meeting new people. Morgantown to California and Tallahassee, you meet all kinds of different people. Your network becomes a wide array of different things and people that you know. It’s a blessing for me. When I was coming up, if you had to transfer, you had to sit out. Being able to transfer and meet new people and a new coaching staff and environment has been awesome. I can’t even say enough how much I love it.”
Somerville is one of 12 new additions to the WVU roster, which remains in flux pending the status of forwards Brenen Lorient and Javan Buchanan, whose eligibility figures to be ruled on in the near future after a court hearing last week on the matter.
He has experience and is a proven Division I player, having started his career at UMass Lowell and spent last season at Florida State. Somerville averaged 13.6 points, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals across an average of 31.6 minutes and 32 games for the River Hawks, and played an important role on last season’s Seminoles with 10 starts over 33 appearances and averages of eight points, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals over 26 minutes.
A southpaw, Somerville is now eager for his opportunity with the Mountaineers and hopes to make a positive impact on and off the court.
“Wherever I’ve gone, I’ve hung my hat on how can I help, how can I help my teammates and how can I help us win? We have a mix of a lot of different ages, but at the guard spot, we have a freshman who’s really talented. You guys know Miles Sadler. I’ve been really hard on him,” Somerville said. “He’s like my little brother and I know he’s going to be great. With him and the younger guys in general, being an older, vocal leader and being able to calm them down in a space like this.
“It’s a lot going on and there’s a lot to learn from summer to when we play our first game. My role is how can I help everybody be as prepared as possible when Game 1 starts and what can I do for us to win games? I’m a guy who picks up stuff really quickly, understanding what coach wants, and the attitude of the team. Can we get in the gym a lot? Are we talking to each other after this? The camaraderie is a big part of what I bring to the team.”
When West Virginia pursued Somerville early into the offseason, Hodge received feedback pertaining to the type of teammate Somerville is.
Last season, Florida State lost its first five games in Atlantic Coast Conference play and had a 7-11 record before getting its season steered in the right direction over the final seven weeks and finishing 18-15 overall and 10-8 in the ACC.
“He can make shots. In this time period, these guys all kind of know each other weirdly, but Martin is on the extreme end of that,” Hodge said. “It feels like Martin knows every single player in America and has some connection through six degrees of separation. So he’s a connector. His previous coaching staff mentioned how important was to the locker room when they went through a tough stretch there, and how he really rallied that group and held it together, and then after getting to know him and putting that together, it didn’t surprise me at all. He really has a unique way of bringing people together and connecting groups and can make shots, can play either guard position. He’s tough and he’s competitive.”
As a college basketball veteran with experience in several systems at different levels, Somerville has a firm understanding of what does and doesn’t work despite having never played for Hodge, the Mountaineers or with any current teammates.
He hopes that knowledge allows for a seamless transition on a team where most of the roster is hoping for a similar goal, whether it’s through transferring to a new program or joining it as a freshman.
“With experience, it kind of eases nerves. I’m not necessarily too high or too low,” Sommerville said. “I’m pretty much an even-keeled guy, especially when it comes to those moments where everybody would think you have jitters. That’s been my biggest part in growth in the game. I’m not sped up at all. I know time and score and time and place. Being able to improve my consistency over college at this level has been the biggest thing.”