Xavier transfer Justin Martin says he had committed to play at SMU. Was scheduled to visit #WVU this weekend. Won’t happen.

— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) June 3, 2014

So much (for now?) for Bob Huggins’ carefully crafted plan to address three classes with the three scholarships he was left with this offseason.

True, Tarik Phillip is in and he has three years to go and Jaysean Paige is in and he has two years left. The linchpin, I guess, was to be Justin Martin, not because he’s especially great and necessary, but because he is a postgraduate player who would come with one season left and give the Mountaineers balance among their classes and wiggle room for the touted 2015 recruiting class.

No more, though, as Martin opted for SMU after his visit and before stepping foot on WVU’s campus.

SMU is going to be really good next season, and I’ve heard Martin was interested in pursuing the NBA … and that’s a tip of the cap to Larry Brown and all he’s already done with the Mustangs and not a swipe at Huggins. It’s different strokes and different folks at the end.

All of that said, I find all of this to be sort of entertaining. People were fired up about Martin and convinced he’d pick WVU and that the Mountaineers would be a top 25 team because of it. I honestly wonder how many people knew of Martin three months ago. I only did because of a story I did about his high school years back and how many players were on Division I rosters. Apart from that? Nothing more.

Anyhow, and along those lines, I have to imagine a lot of people are down about it now, and that they’ll begin to pick at Martin and his game because he went elsewhere or because WVU backed off or whatever. I can see scenarios in which his decision will be played as a relief because the Mountaineers now have room for a player they really need — and watch that player come out of the woodwork now. Silly season stuff, as it is every summer, but also reminder that only a few people really know what’s going on with these kids and their decision.