Recruiting Report: Sam Martin (2017)

Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer &nbsp; Fresh off of a soccer season that saw him named first team all- conference, city and state along with a state championship, <strong>Sam Martin</strong> is looking for the same success on the hardwood. And with Summit off to a 16-0 start and a #1 ranking in the D-III AP state polls, Martin has a great chance for the second state title of his senior year. With averages of 15.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game to go along with 2.5 assist and steals, Martin is also looking to win the conference player of the year in basketball as well. When interviewing Sam one of the first questions that I asked Martin was how soccer helps prepare him for the basketball season. “Soccer helps with basketball as far as the running that I do,” stated Martin. “Helps with my conditioning, along with my court vision and footwork as well.” Offensively Martin has a very crafty game. He has the ability to change speeds very well along with an excellent ability to finish in the lane. A very fundamentally sound player as well, Sam has the ability to finish with both hands in the lane from a variety of angles.  Martin also is a very solid shooter from behind the arc shooting 43.5% on the season. Defensively you can tell that the soccer helps as Martin does an outstanding job applying ball pressure on the opposing teams guard, beating the opposition to the spot and making them constantly turn their backs cutting off court vision. When I asked Martin what he thinks are strengths of a good point guard, Martin immediately gave a point guard type of answer. “I feel that taking care of the ball and controlling the pace are very important for a point guard,” Sam stated. This is something that Martin picked up reading a book by Hall of Famer John Stockton. “I recently read a book by John Stockton, and it talked it about keeping the game simple. And obviously being the all- time steals and assist leader, I learned more about those aspects of the game as well.” As for his senior season and beyond, Martin is looking to get better every game while also doing whatever it takes for his team to win. During the interview Sam stated how much everyone at Summit is invested in one common goal which is winning state. With the improvement of everyone on the roster from last year, Martin feels that is team that can do some special things. Right now Martin is receiving a lot of interest at the Division III level and has had communication with Malone University in Canton, OH along with University of Charleston in West Virginia. Sam is undecided as far as what he will major in but is looking for a string academic school that will set him up well for the future. In my eyes Martin has the talent to play at the Division II if given the chance, in particular if you’re looking for a winner who will make the correct decisions on and off the court.