MARTIN, Tenn. – Jeremy Shulman, head coach of the University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball program, has announced the addition of Carlos Cortijo as the Skyhawks’ 10th newcomer for the 2024-25 campaign.
Cortijo is a 6-0, 170-pound guard who played for Shulman at Eastern Florida State College last season, helping guide the Titans to a 27-5 overall record with a Citrus Conference championship after going 14-2 against league foes. Cortijo will be a sophomore next season with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
“We are excited to bring Carlos with us to UT Martin,” Shulman said. “As a freshman he started 30 games at point guard and he knows our system as well as anybody. His future is very bright and we can’t wait to watch his development over the next three seasons.”
Cortijo averaged 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game last season, starting in 30 of his 31 contests. He upped those numbers to 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per outing in league play, shooting 36.4 percent (16-of-44) from three-point range with nearly a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (78 assists against 42 turnovers).
Hailing from Canovanas, Puerto Rico, Cortijo scored in double figures 14 times as a freshman, including a career-best 28-point outburst (on 10-of-13 shooting) with a career-high seven rebounds at Polk State College on March 4. He knocked down multiple three-pointers on 10 separate occasions, including three triples against East Georgia State College on Nov. 4. He sank a career-best six free throws twice, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort on the way to 18 points against Hillsborough Community College on March 2.
Cortijo distributed at least seven assists in eight different games in 2023-24, including a career-best nine dimes at St. Petersburg College on Jan. 10. He was responsible for 11 multi-steal games with his career-best tally of six swipes coming against Hillsborough Community College on March 13.
Prepping at Central Pointe Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Fla., Cortijo helped the White Tigers win the SIAA state championship during his senior season. He was also a vital part of a Central Pointe program that advanced to the SIAA state Final Four as a junior. Overall, he was a part of a squad that went 85-28 (.752 winning percentage) in his final three seasons, including a pair of 30-win campaigns. He played under head coaches Richie Dalmau and Christian Dalmau while teaming up with fellow Skyhawk signee Lamine Niang.
Like many other UT Martin signees for 2024-25, Cortijo also boasts vast international experience. He played on the Puerto Rico National Team at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico over the summer of 2022. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal over six games while shooting 80 percent (12-of-15) from the free throw line. His best game in that event came against Mexico as he went off for 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Cortijo joins former Eastern Florida State College teammates Matija Žužic, Andrija Bukumirović and Afan Trnka as well as Niang (Cal State Northridge), Stefano Faloppa (Monroe College), Tarence Guinyard (Florida State College at Jacksonville), AJ Hopkins (Florida SouthWestern State College), Josué Grullon (Daytona State College) and Vladimer Salaridze (UC Riverside) in the Skyhawks’ signing class for 2024-25.
