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January 17, 2019
Sposito lauds colleagues as she leaves chair role
January 17, 2019
The Xavier University of Louisiana men’s basketball team is retooled with eight new players after a memorable, 24-win season last spring.
That transition has thrust the team’s small core group of returnees into leadership roles.
And that’s a role that H.L. Bourgeois graduate and Gold Rush guard Rayshawn Mart is embracing in style so far this season.
Mart is now a sophomore at Xavier and he’s showing growth — both on the court and in the locker room so far in his second year at the college level.
So far, he’s leading by example, averaging 11.7 points per game, while also leading the team in 34.5 minutes played per game.
“I just had to be more assertive and more vocal,” Mart said of the transition into his sophomore season. “I just wanted to focus on doing the right things all the time to just lead by example and be a great leader for my team.”
Mart said he’s earned his role with Xavier through hard work and determination in the offseason. Those are traits the Houma-Thibodaux area are all too familiar with when it comes to Mart’s successes.
Known locally as “Ray-J,” Mart earned his place at the next level with a dominant career at H.L. Bourgeois — one of the top players in the area over the past half-decade.
With was a multi-year letter winner for the Braves — his most profound success coming as a junior and senior.
As a junior, he burst onto the scene and averaged 13 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game for a Braves team that stopped one win short of the Top 28, reaching the Class 5A State Quarterfinals. On top of that success, Mart also started to earn waves on the recruit
ing trail as a junior with the LT Rockets.
As a senior, Mart grew both his game and his role, averaging 17 points per game, while igniting the team — on and off the floor.
When he signed with Xavier, Mart was a full academic qualifier with a 3.5 GPA.
“He’s a really, really good player,” H.L. Bourgeois coach Andrew Caillouet said of his former player when he signed at the next level. “He does a lot to make us go. But the kids look up to him off the floor and he has an impact on our locker room. He’s been a great player for us.”
And he carried all of that momentum into the collegiate ranks.
As a freshman, Mart didn’t have time to get acclimated to the next level. He was thrust immediately into a prominent role on a highly successful team.
Mart played all 33 games for the Gold Rush, leading the team in minutes per game (30.3), while also averaging 10.7 points per game. On the interior, Mart was a force. He got into the paint and scored at will and/or drew fouls. He shot 51 percent from the field, while shooting a team-high 143 free throws. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds game game, while leading the team in steals.
But Mart said he wasn’t satisfied with his early-career successes. He said he worked hard in the gym over the summer to get better. As a freshman, Mart shot just 22 percent from behind the 3-point line — a number he wanted to fix going into his sophomore year.
Those thousands of jump shots and countless hours of hard work have paid off. At press-time as a sophomore, Mart is averaging 11.7 points per game, while shooting 40.7 percent from behind the arc.
“I worked a lot on becoming more consistent from the 3,” Mart said of his shooting. “And that has opened up my game tremendously. It makes everyone have to guard me honest, as opposed to sagging off.”
But it’s not all just shooting that’s made Mart a more complete player.
So far this season, he’s leading Xavier in minutes, rebounds (both offensive and defensive), blocks and steals. He is second on the team in assists.
Mart said with so many new players on the roster, he knew he’d have to shoulder a significant load to try and help the team survive its youth and new chemistry.
“I was a captain last year, but me being a returner just gave my coaches and teammates a high expectation for what I could do on the floor,” Mart said. “With us having 8 new teammates, it forced me to do the right things all the time as far as working hard and staying focused so I could show them how things are supposed to be done here.”
And now, Mart hopes that leads to victories and a second-half spark.
At press-time, the Gold Rush are 8-7. They’ve been a bit of a mixed bag. They’ve beaten some of the top teams in the country for NAIA and have competed very closely with others, including a 3-point loss against LSU-Alexandria.
Mart said Xavier is getting better, adding that the second half of the season will be key for the team — one where many in the locker room are expecting a turnaround and high-stakes games.
“We just have to stay together and focus on the little things,” Mart said. “Our struggles are just a bump in the road we have to surpass. And us staying locked in and focusing on the little things will get us there.”
