Skyland Conference Star Spotlight: Zach Martini, Gill St. Bernard’s
Gill St. Bernard’s is one of the top programs in the Skyland year in and year out. They pump out an immense amount of talent and play basketball the way it was meant to be played. Defense and fundamentals are…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGill St. Bernard’s is one of the top programs in the Skyland year in and year out. They pump out an immense amount of talent and play basketball the way it was meant to be played. Defense and fundamentals are learned when you play for that program and that is true for forward Zach Martini.
After transferring from Rutgers Prep, Martini had a breakout season in his junior campaign. He averaged 14.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game after scoring just over six points a game as a sophomore. Martini upped his double-double number from two as a sophomore to 20 in 30 games at Gill St. Bernard’s.
At 6’7, Martini already has size but plays even bigger. He is an elite rim protector on the defensive end. When on offense, Martini is a threat from both inside and out. He has a smooth jump shot and can light it up from three-point range. Martini will return to Gill St. Bernard’s with unfinished business. His team fell to Roselle Catholic 48-44 in the North Jersey, Non-Public B Championship. They lost another forward in Paul Mulachy but Martini has the skill and leadership ability to get his team back to where they want to be.
Martini’s breakout season opened the eyes of some local collegiate programs. Martini is an excellent student off the court and if an Ivy League program comes knocking, it is hard to say no. Martini did not say no when Princeton University came to his door with an offer.
“Princeton was pretty new to my recruiting process, but they took it to a whole different level,” Martini told NJ.com. “That started with head coach (Mitch) Henderson. The relationship I’ve built with him since April has been great. We talk a lot. In late June, he told me that they were ready to commit and were waiting on me. I took a week and sat on that, talked to my family and everyday the talk came back to Princeton. That’s where I wanted to be.”
Princeton is one of the best programs in the Ivy League and they are getting a player that will fit in perfectly with the way they play basketball. Before he takes that next step, Martini will look to win a championship in high school with Gill St. Bernard’s.