Few athletes can say they’ve experienced the range of emotions that Alijah Martin has in March Madness.
During the 2023 Final Four, Martin could only watch from his help-side position as San Diego State’s Lamont Butler sunk a game-winning jumper, bringing Florida Atlantic’s magical postseason run to a crushing close in Houston.
In the same state just over two years later, Martin found himself in a similar spot.
After he forced the ball out of Milos Uzan’s hands, Martin was again a spectator when Houston’s Emmanuel Sharp was unable to get a shot off as time expired.
After he had stood stunned under the rim in ’23, Martin raised a fist into the air and joined his teammates for a well-earned celebration in San Antonio, bringing his career full-circle with a national title.
In and of itself, that is an incredible story. After all, Martin became the first basketball player to start for two different teams in the Final Four last week, a feat that will be hard to replicate for a myriad of reasons.
But the journey Martin took to reach the sport’s pinnacle is defined by winding roads and humble beginnings, and it’s one that was paved by his determination to defy the odds.
The path to the top
Martin is a native of Pike County and spent much of his youthful days hooping at the local Summit Rotary Gym.
From a young age, it was clear that the future Gator was blessed with God-given athletic talent, and thus he became the face of North Pike athletics.
But while those physical gifts certainly helped, it was Martin’s mindset that propelled him to true stardom.
“Coming from Mississippi, I had an underdog mentality because we don’t have all the cameras and the 5-stars that other states have. That shaped me as a man and made me grow up a bit faster,” Martin said. “It just made me tougher and stronger, and most importantly, it made me secure with myself.”
And whether he was dominating on the hardwood, the gridiron or the track, Martin found success in virtually anything he put his mind to.
“He just carried himself a certain way to where when he walked on a field or court, you knew he was something special,” Jason Cooksey, Martin’s high school offensive coordinator, said. “It didn’t matter if it was football, basketball or track, and he was so humble with it all. He just went out there and did the things he had to do to be successful.”
But for as much as he provided North Pike and its fans with, the local community gave Martin just as much.
For instance, Martin became very close with Cooksey and his family, which resulted in a life-long bond…and some home-cooked meals.
“He’s part of my family. I don’t consider him one of my players, he’s family,” Cooksey said. “My son and him are still best friends, and he always looks forward to having my wife’s chicken and rice whenever he comes back to town.”
Cooksey first took notice of Martin’s talent when he drafted him onto his Dixie Youth Baseball team at age 11, and the rest became history.
“Even then, you could see there was something special about the young man,” Cooksey said. “And now I've watched him grow up in just about every aspect, from coaching him in little league to watching him play high school football.”
Martin went on to become a 5A Player of the Year in football and basketball, was the MVP of the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star basketball game and placed first in the high jump at state track meets. Oh, and all the while he was hitting 350-foot home runs on the side.
All of those athletic commitments meant that Martin’s schedule was perpetually busy, but that did nothing to faze him.
“The main thing I saw from him at such a young age was his work ethic and dedication,” Cooksey said. “There were times when he would come in early for morning football workouts at 6:30 a.m., and then he leaves that and goes to play 7-on-7 for a couple hours. Then he runs to the gym for basketball workouts, and then he leaves there and plays two or three AAU games at night. And he never once gave any excuses to any coach.”
The hometown hooper
With the people of Pike County in his corner, Martin eventually opted to pursue basketball as his primary sport of choice.
Terrell Anderson became the head coach at North Pike in 2018 after a wildly successful stint as an assistant at Raymond which featured back-to-back state titles.
To be drawn away from such a situation requires a strong reason, and Martin became that for Anderson.
“I did my research and saw from the film that North Pike had a special player,” Anderson said. “Once I saw him and his abilities, I knew then that I wanted the job. And it was obvious from the jump that the talent was there.”
Thus, it became a perfect marriage.
Anderson vividly recalls the non-stop messages he’d receive from Martin about opening up the gym so he could get a workout in, and he added that the budding star would frequently ask if the Jaguars could play tougher competition each season.
That determination and willingness to challenge himself was only part of the equation, as Martin was also a standout representative for North Pike High School.
“He’s one of the ones that I never had to worry about getting in trouble,” Anderson said. “He’s humble, wants the best out of everybody and sometimes was even too unselfish on the court.”
But despite his immense success as a Jaguar, the combo guard was under-recruited out of high school. No Power 5 program offered him, and only regional schools such as Southern Miss, New Orleans and Tulane seemed to be giving him a chance.
Martin was leaning toward signing with nearby McNeese late in the process, but then the Owls came calling.
Or more specifically, current Michigan head coach Dusty Mays, who has made a habit of developing under-the-radar talents.
Florida Atlantic offered Martin in July of 2019, and he committed to play in Boca Raton just under a year later.
Over four seasons as an Owl, Martin recorded 86 starts and averaged 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
The 2023 Final Four run and 35-4 overall record were certainly the highlight of his tenure, but he also helped lead FAU to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time in its history.
Florida Atlantic guard Alijah Martin poses with Mickey Mouse after being named the MVP of the ESPN Events Invitational in 2023. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Following his senior season in Boca Raton, Martin knew he had one more year of collegiate eligibility left should he choose to use it.
Thus, the transfer portal came calling.
The dream season
Third-year Florida head coach Todd Golden knew his program was missing something last spring.
The Gators had plenty of offensive talent, as evidenced by their 85.6 points per game during the 2023-24 season.
But they had disappointingly bowed out in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to tenth-seeded Colorado in a 102-100 shootout.
So during the ensuing offseason, Golden and his staff attempted to accomplish two things.
One was to drastically improve the Florida defense.
The second was to acquire players that could push the team to the next level during postseason action.
In Martin, Golden was able to kill both of those birds with one high-flying stone.
On their way to a 27-4 regular season record, the Gators went from allowing 79.6 points per game last year to only 69.4 this time around.
While Martin was not the only reason for that improvement, his tangible commitment to the defensive end and 1.5 steals per game certainly helped.
And after falling in the SEC Tournament final just a season ago, Florida went one step further in 2025 by taking down Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee on its way to earning the conference’s crown.
That postseason success carried over to The Big Dance, as the Gators went on a miraculous run that featured four second-half comebacks when trailing by nine or more points.
“He [Martin] and I talked before the season, and he told me that they had the offense already, they just needed the other side,” Anderson said. “And so he really helped push Florida over the edge with defense.”
Martin recalled how he became a tone-setter for this 2024-25 squad during the grind of summer workouts, as he realized he could be the one that pushed his teammates to new heights through his work ethic and mindset.
“To be honest, I came in and didn’t like the culture. So that first workout, I voiced my opinions and the guys accepted the challenge,” Martin explained. “I brought my toughness, my experience and my winning background, and that just rubbed off on everyone.”
And despite not playing his best game in the title bout against Houston, Martin still averaged 13.8 points on 43% shooting to go along with four rebounds per game over the course of March Madness.
He also went viral for a pair of jaw-dropping dunks in the Final Four, one where he jumped from just beyond the free throw line and another where he put two Auburn players on a poster they’ll try their best to forget.
For Florida and March Madness fans, they’re a pair of plays that will be remembered for generations to come.
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to dunk on somebody this year, so being able to do it in March Madness on the biggest stage was everything,” Martin said. “And they also changed the momentum of the game, because after those dunks, it took the life out of them [Auburn].”
So, it’s safe to say that Golden & Co. got exactly what they wanted and then some when they landed Martin out of the portal.
“It wasn’t easy, and it was kind of an un-strategized journey,” Martin said. “But both teams I’ve been on, we’ve worked our butts off and enjoyed being around each other.”
The roots, and what lies ahead
The blue and orange confetti has been swept off the court at the Alamodome, Florida has held its victory parades in Gainesville and everybody in the college hoops world has shifted their focus to the next season.
Weeks removed from the greatest achievement of his young life, Martin will briefly return to his hometown of Summit, where he’ll be celebrated by a plethora of family members, friends, teachers, coaches and more people who influenced his life growing up.
Florida guards Will Richard and Alijah Martin embrace after their win against Houston in the National Championship. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
But soon, Martin will direct his attention toward the 2025 NBA Draft that takes place from June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He plans to undergo a strict training program in Los Angeles as he prepares for his professional career.
“I’ll be in LA training for the pre-draft workouts and the combine over the next couple of months,” Martin said. “And then hopefully I’ll hear my name called in June and be coming back to Pike County to celebrate!”
And as his basketball journey continues, Martin will be sure to never forget where he came from, something he reminded his Florida teammates about frequently throughout the season.
“Doing this means everything to me because I was in those kids’ shoes once, being inspired by guys in my community,” Martin said, listing Vernon Butler and Antonio Cowart as examples. “So I just hope that I get to inspire the younger generation to be better than I was. That’s what it’s all about, inspiring the kids.”
So as their mantra goes, the Gator boys were indeed hot throughout the 2024-25 season.
But Martin has no intentions of cooling off just because his college career has come to an end.
Instead, he’ll continue to be the same grounded guy he’s always been as he pursues his dreams, and he has his roots to thank for that mindset.
“He hasn’t even scratched the surface yet,” Anderson said of his former player. “He still has a long way to go with how his game can be elevated, which is scary.”
