By Michael West, Contributing Writer
Jael Martin will graduate from Carlsbad High School next month, then begin his new chapter in basketball as a Loyola Marymount Power Forward. This third most talented player in San Diego County signed his National Letter of Intent with the Lions on April 17th.
Although he is not considered highly on the national basketball radar, the skilled forward is well known in the San Diego area. Known as a prolific shot blocker, Martin was San Diego Section’s third best in blocking shots his senior year. But that is not the only skill that led him to land at Loyola Marymount. Head Coach Lorenzo Romar likes Martin’s versatility-which he demonstrated time and again in Carlsbad’s title run this year.
Most of the major recruiting services did not list Martin his senior year, but he still drew offers from the likes of Arizona State, Pepperdine, UNLV and UC San Diego. Martin originally committed to Pepperdine, but followed Head Coach Romar to LMU, when Pepperdine parted ways with the well-known former basketball player turned coach.
| Recruiting Service | Grade | Rating | National Rank | PF Rank | State Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On3 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 247 Sports | 87 | 3 Star | – | 47 | – |
| ESPN | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rivals | – | – | – | – | – |
The lanky 6 foot 9, 190 pound forward has been considered one of the most underrated players on the West Coach for quite some time. He averaged 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots his junior year in high school. His stats fell his Senior year, but his versatility and leadership increased as a Senior.
Most players see an uptick statistically their final year of high school, but Martin made a difference his senior year-being an instrumental cog on a talented Lancer squad. He averaged 13.7 points per game, 7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.3 assists, but that doesn’t tell the entire story of his senior season.
All five of the Lancer’s starters were pivotal throughout the season, which culminated in the 30-4 Lancers remaining the top seed in the San Diego Section as the season moved into the playoffs. The ensemble’s unity and cohesiveness paid off as Carlsbad took home the San Diego Section Division Open Title, defeated the Montgomery Aztecs 56-47. Martin scored 8 points in the game-including a thunderous dunk in the 4th quarter that sealed the victory.
Martin is mostly known for his rebounding, shot blocking and defensive skills. His ability to average double figures on offense is what makes him a valuable prospect as he enters Division I basketball at Loyola Marymount. Below are a few links of some notable plays this past season.
- https://x.com/i/status/1753657152940744849
- https://x.com/i/status/1741312941260230911
- https://x.com/i/status/1664653508174581770
Congrats to Jael Martin, and best of luck.
