The Christian Brothers College Cadets are once again in the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 6 final four and one of the main reasons for their success this season has been the play of senior guard Robert Martin. Martin has aided the Cadets in advancing to JQH Arena for the first time since 2019 with his unselfish play and leadership on the court and how he handles his business in the classroom.
Martin is leading the Cadets by averaging 19.9 points a game and has a team-high five assists per game as CBC is looking for their first state title since winning the Class 5 championship back in 2014.
“It is definitely a good feeling to play for a state title,” stated Martin. “I was able to make it my freshman year, but not my sophomore year due to COVID. We lost in the district championship game my junior, so I am excited to be there this year and win it this time.”
One of the main things that Martin commands is respect on the court from his teammates and he demonstrates what leading by example is. Martin has turned into a natural leader on the court for the younger guys that are on the team.
“It all started with me playing with Caleb Love my freshman year, so I looked up to him because he was a great leader and it rubbed off on me,” said Martin. “In my junior year, I knew that I needed to lead by example. Coach has always told me to lead by example and those guys will follow you. If they messed up, let them know to get ready for the next play and be comfortable, and just play basketball. If we make mistakes, we learn from those mistakes and grow from them. It has been a pleasure because they are a great group of guys. I love being a leader and it has been a good ride so far.”
One of the parts of Martin’s game is to let everyone know that he is more than a scorer. He can distribute the ball and get his teammates involved in the game so that the team can succeed.
“People think that I am a scoring point guard, but I like to get my guys involved,” stated Martin. “I like to get them going so that I can get going as well. I score when it is needed and we have needed that at times this year, so I know how to score the ball at a high level. Just getting those guys involved because I can’t do it myself, so getting Larry (Hughes Jr.) and John (Bol) the ball in the paint with lobs has been a big key this year. I had a game with 10 assists and a few double-doubles along the way, so it had been good so far.”
One of the things that have also made Martin and his team better is the tough schedule that the Cadets have played. The type of schedule that head coach Justin Tatum sets up is in place to make his team better and prepared for the state playoffs.
“Coach has always told us that the regular season is the pre-season,” said Martin. “That has got us ready for the run that we are on right now which we have won 11 games in a row. Those early games have gotten us ready for these big moments like our game on Thursday. It will be the third time that we have played Chaminade, so the “pre-season” has got us ready for this run and hopefully get the wins and bring home the state championship. The schedule has been the best in the state as we have played top guys and top teams like Sunrise Christian and Link Academy. Even though we did not win those games, it got us better for what we are doing right now.”
Playing basketball and being an outstanding student-athlete is without a doubt a juggling act in high school. But Martin has been able to keep everything in focus when it comes to balancing his time on the court and in the classroom.
“The first things that it all starts in the classroom,” said Martin. “I just balance my schedule because I have been doing it for so long, so I am used to it. I just try to focus on the goal, which is school and basketball. No parties and I just stay around my group of guys that I have been playing basketball with and the guys that have the same goals as me, to win the state championship.”
The future is very bright for Martin as he committed to furthering his education and athletic career at Indiana State in the fall.
“I will be majoring in Business Management at Indiana State,” said Martin. “That is good because I know about business, and I am excited to learn more and more stuff.
Martin and the Cadets will take on Metro Catholic Conference rival Chaminade in the Class 6 semifinals Thursday at 4 p.m. at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo., and we wish his and his team the best of luck in their pursuit of a state title.
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
