South Middlesex Times

Zach Martini is preparing to take on a leadership role for Rutgers University's men's basketball team this season. Martini, who recently joined the team, brings with him a degree from Princeton University where he majored in English and served as captain of the Ivy League championship team during his senior year.

Head coach Steve Pikiell quickly recognized Martini's leadership qualities. "He was talking about that in the recruiting process," Pikiell said. "Nobody in the recruiting process talks to you about leadership skills. None. After being here with our guys since training camp on June 9, he’d already reached out to the freshmen. So not only did he talk it but he walked it, too."

Martini’s basketball career faced a significant challenge during his junior year at Princeton when a pre-season game collision resulted in a collapsed lung, causing him to miss six weeks of practice. Reflecting on the incident, Martini said, “It was crazy. A lot of pain. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through.”

The 23-year-old Warren, N.J., native has diverse interests including movies and football. His academic work at Princeton reflected these interests; during his junior year, he wrote about dystopian literature and explored themes like "The Uncanny" by Sigmund Freud in his senior thesis.

Now pursuing a master's degree in finance at Rutgers Business School, Martini faces a rigorous class schedule that includes investment analysis and corporate finance courses.

Martini chose Rutgers because of its strong athletic program and facilities. “Coach was the first to reach out to me in the transfer portal, and that meant a lot to me,” he said.

Pikiell praised Martini’s playing style and contributions beyond statistics: “He’s the best cutter on the team; he goes full speed, blocks out, sets great screens... His leadership... they all are things that don’t show up on the stat sheet."

At Princeton, Martini helped lead his team to three regular season Ivy League championships and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen during his junior year—a feat Rutgers hasn't achieved in 45 years.

Martini is enthusiastic about contributing to Rutgers' success: “We have the talent, the work ethic... And it’s not every day you get to play with two (NBA) lottery picks.”

Martini has also been impressed by Rutgers' large crowds at sporting events compared to what he's used to from Ivy League games.

Looking ahead, while an NBA draft seems unlikely for Martini, he envisions possibly playing basketball in Europe or living in London for some time due to its unique appeal.

Whatever path Martini takes after graduation remains uncertain but given his track record of leadership both on and off the court, it's likely he'll continue making significant contributions wherever he goes.