The No. 140 overall recruit in the class of 2027 announced his commitment to Marquette on Friday:
By: Ross Van De Griek
Marlon Martinez, A 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard out of Academy of Central Florida in Orlando, announced he is committing to play collegiate basketball at Marquette University on Friday. Martinez chose the Golden Eagles over Illinois, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Rutgers, and several others. He also held offers from schools such as South Carolina, South Florida, Tulsa, and West Virginia, among others.
Martinez becomes the first commit in the upcoming recruiting cycle for Shaka Smart and the Marquette Golden Eagles. He took an official visit to Marquette last month, where he told On3’s Joe Tipton, “Through the whole process, Marquette was straight up with me about where I fit, what they need from me, and what the path to real minutes looks like. They didn’t just sell me a dream; they showed me a plan. When I visited, it felt like a place where I could grow as a player and a person, and my family felt that too. Family is everything in my culture, so that mattered.”
Martinez is the No. 140 overall-ranked recruit in the class of 2027, the No. 21 shooting guard, and the No. 24 overall-ranked player in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports.
Martinez was teammates with four-star point guard Martay Barnes (Florida State), small forward Justin Roman (Florida International University), three-star center Symon Ghai (Northwestern), and three-star center Fallou Mbengue.
During the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, Martinez represented the Dominican Republic, where he averaged 19 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from behind the arc in six games played.
Scouting Report on Marlon Martinez: Martinez shows pure mechanics with range, where he expands his range well beyond the college three-point line. Martinez has that rare ability to shoot off the catch or off the dribble with equal effectiveness, making him a nightmare for defenders who have to respect his range. His basketball IQ separates him from other shooters in his class. He has a great understanding of where he reads help defense quickly and makes the right pass when defenses overreact to his shooting threat. His shooting ability alone will keep him on the floor, but the passing and defensive awareness suggest he can develop into a complete two-way contributor. Professional basketball remains a possibility if he continues developing physically and adds more dynamic scoring ability to complement that elite shooting touch.
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Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast Region Scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024 and has been the Owner/Founder of Southeast Hoops Report since June 2026. You can follow along with his work on X (@SEHoopsReport), Instagram (sehoopsreport), and Facebook (@sehoopsreport).