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Alijah Martin: From North Pike High School to the NBA
Alijah Martin was born in Summit, Mississippi on Dec. 26, 2001, and his athletic journey to the NBA is remarkable for many different reasons.
Martin grew up playing both football and basketball while growing up, playing in high school for both teams at North Pike High School. As a senior, Martin averaged 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals to give him first-team All-State honors. On the football side, Martin also made All-State while throwing for 2,100 yards and 20 touchdowns at quarterback. He also ran for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.
After making a tough decision, Martin chose to play college basketball and signed to play for Florida Atlantic University. He showed major potential in his first two seasons as an Owl. Then, as a junior during the 2022-23 season, Florida Atlantic made a Cinderella run to the NCAA Tournament Final Four while posting a remarkable 35-4 record.
Martin averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game his junior season, earning first-team All-Conference USA honors. He also won the Conference USA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player before making the All-NCAA Tournament team. During March Madness, Martin averaged 15.2 points per contest.
Martin had another great season with FAU his senior year before being granted another year of eligibility as a graduate. He then chose to transfer to the University of Florida in the SEC, a huge step in his basketball career.
This past season for the Gators, Martin averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds to go along with 82 assists and 79 three-pointers. Florida would go on to win the SEC Tournament before making a huge run and winning the National Championship, the program’s third in school history. Martin was a part of the highest-scoring trio in Florida Gators history along with Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard.
After a very successful college basketball career, Martin declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. He was drafted along with Clayton Jr. and Richard. Martin was selected with the 39th overall pick to the Toronto Raptors. As his journey continues, he has already added himself to a group of the best athletes to come out of Mississippi.
