Cyril Martynov will increase the amount needed for 2022-23

Roster building for Georgia Tech basketball continues into late summer, with the addition of freshman big man Cyril Martynov for the upcoming season.

Even with former ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright concussed, Georgia Tech basketball needs frontcourt depth. Last season, Georgia transfer Rodney Howard and sophomores Saba Gigiberia and Jordan Meka got plenty of minutes under center but had little impact on either end of the team.

Howard started 25 games and averaged 6.5 ppg and 5.1 rpg on 56% from the field for 25 mpg. He got off to a good start last season with 10 points and 14 rebounds against Miami (OH) but was inconsistent in the middle. Still, performances like 14 and 11 against NC State and 19 points and 10 boards against Syracuse provide optimism for next season.

But the Yellow Jackets had only 6’7 Javon Franklin from South Alabama in addition to Howard for both center and power up front. Now they have landed a 7’0 big man who is immediately eligible in Cyril Martynov.

Originally from Canada, Martynov played his high school in New Jersey. He was a relatively unknown prospect locally, but some DIA programs have been on his radar, with Wisconsin, Northwestern and Missouri also in the mix. And now that he’s reassigned to join the Class of 2022, there’s a chance he could be a hidden gem and become a freshman in just a few months.

With a rebuilt roster, Georgia Tech basketball has some questions for the upcoming season, including the frontcourt. If Martynov can make an impact, that solves at least one question for the team and if nothing else, they could have a productive 40 minutes in the center position. Without any other real options, the Yellow Jackets had a good day with this pickup.