Princeton's Zach Martini, a star at Gill St. Bernard’s, returns after a serious injury
PRINCETON – During basketball practice a few years ago at Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, coach Mergin Sina asked Zach Martini if he wanted to score 10 more points a game.
“Sure,’’ the teenager replied.
Said Sina, “Just run.”
Like Forrest Gump, Martini hasn’t stopped since. Well, not actually.
A junior on the Princeton University basketball team, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward stopped running on Oct. 8.
That’s the day he took a hard charge – not unusual for him – but this time it was different. He began to rotate his shoulder as he headed to the sideline, but the injury would be much more serious.
Breathing became difficult and he began to hyper-ventilate. Twenty minutes later an ambulance arrived at Jadwin Gym and he was wheeled across the court on a stretcher.
At Princeton Medical Center – where his mother works as a CT scan technician – he was told he had a collapsed lung.
“It was crazy,’’ he said. “I was struggling to breathe. A lot of pain. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through.”
A chest tube was inserted to reinflate his lung, and one night the lung began to deflate. There were no more complications, and after five nights in the hospital he was sent home.
He didn’t practice for six weeks, missing six games before returning to the lineup Dec. 3. He played 18 minutes, had 8 points, 4 rebounds and no shortness of breath. Since then, he has averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13 minutes per game.
He took his first charge Dec. 3 against Drexel. On purpose. He now has four charges this season.
“It was a 6-10 kid,’’ he said about the impact. “I wanted to do it. I was in good position to do it, and when I went down I was yelling my (butt) off, I was so happy. I just want to help the team win.”
“He wanted to get right back on the horse,’’ assistant coach Brett MacConnell said with a laugh. “He jumped right back in and was good as new.”
'Run like Zach'
Martini, who grew up in Warren, has a brother who is a sophomore quarterback at Cornell. Their dad played football at Lehigh.
With little brother attending Watchung Hills High School, they met six times on the basketball court.
“The family hated them,’’ he said about the games where one of the boys was guaranteed to lose.
Martini can shoot from outside, but his strength is rebounding, at both ends of the floor. He loves to mix it up underneath and has no issues taking off for the other end.
“One thing we say in our program is, ‘Run like Zach,’” assistant coach Lawrence Rowley put it. “He’s the kind of player who will run hard, and he’s going to do what he’s asked. He’s tough. He’s one of those guys who just does the little things. He has a great motor. He’s definitely a guy we really value in our program.”
MacConnell saw Martini a lot in high school and summer leagues. He, too, was immediately impressed with the kid’s energy.
“The first thing that really stood out was he ran the floor like a demon; ran 100 percent of the time, with maximum effort,” the assistant coach said. “He runs really, really well for his size. He takes no plays off, and obviously he is not afraid to bang his body around. In high school you knew exactly what you were going to get.”
'It’s a blessing to be here'
Post-Ivy League diploma, Martini isn’t sure what he’s going to get.
He may become a lawyer. Maybe producing (he loves movies). Maybe journalism.
“What I’d love to be is in a front office for a major sports team. Basketball, football,’’ he said. “That’s my dream job.’’
For now, his job remains helping his team in their quest for an Ivy League championship. They went into the weekend with a one-game lead on Yale, with five regular-season games remaining. The league tournament will be held at Princeton March 11-12.
Meanwhile, off the court, there is the demanding Ivy League curriculum – he’s majoring in English – and his junior thesis.
“I’m writing it right now,’’ he said. “Dystopian Literature.”
Say what?
“It’s about messed up society. It’s a very autonomous lifestyle,” he said. “I’ve kind of been drawn to uncanny types of movies and books. My 12th grade teacher introduced me to (novelist) Franz Kafka, from the 1920s. There’s weird scenarios, dream-like people interacting with strange people.”
He smiled.
Basketball generally provides a more simple enjoyment.
“I love running up and down the court. It brings me a lot of joy,’’ he said. “I enjoy playing as hard as I can and trying to do as much as I can to win the game. I like being a physical player, and I try and set the tone for my teammates. Being on the court with them is a lot of fun.”
His coaches say he’s also fun off the court.
While his day usually begins with a crossword puzzle and coffee, he loves to watch movies. And, he can look at a picture of pretty much any flag and tell you what country it is.
“He’s a great guy to have around,’’ Rowley said. “Can talk music, sports (big Jets fan). For the most part, he always has a different perspective on things that I personally love hearing. He’s a high-character guy. All the guys love being around him.”
Said the 21-year-old, “It’s a blessing to be here.”
A blessing to simply run again.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Princeton hoops player Zach Martini returns after a serious injury
