Martin signs with St. Johns

[kyprepfan0622]

Zakiyyah Shahid- Martin “Z” signed a national letter of intent with St. Johns University of the Big East. Z Martin, a 6’2” forward from DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, KY was the lone senior on the team that finished ranked #2 in Kentucky. Z is the #3 ranked senior prospect in Kentucky according to ESPN HoopGurlz (4/22/10).

Evaluation from ESPN HoopGurlz:
“Zakiyah Martin might be the forward that a college coach would order off a menu. The 6-2 Manual standout is long, lean and athletic. She's very fluid in her movement and has impressive speed and quickness. Her game around the rim is solid and she has the ability to put it on the floor some. She's active at both ends of the court and a wide wingspan makes her particularly imposing on defense. What really catches your eye is the effort and intensity that she plays with and the interaction with her teammates. She's only going to get better and better.”

St. Johns just completed one of the most successful in history for the Red Storm as it finished the year ranked in both Top 25 Polls for the first time in program history. The Red Storm ranked No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and No. 15 in the final AP Poll. The team finished the year with a 25-7 record, earning the most wins since 28 in 1982-83. St. John's posted a 12-4 slate in BIG EAST action, finishing tied for fourth in the league while tying the program mark in BIG EAST wins.

The Red Storm made its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, eventually advancing to the second round with a 65-47 win over Princeton. St. John's came close to making its first appearance in the Sweet 16, dropping a 66-65 overtime decision to then-No. 11 FSU in second-round action.

STJ posted its biggest win in program history this past season, defeating then-No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 16, 76-71. It was the third win all-time for STJ over the Irish, with all three coming under the direction of Kim Barnes Arico.

[kyprepfan0622]

St. Johns Press Release:

May 5, 2010

QUEENS. N.Y. - St. John's women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico announced today that Zakiyyah Shahid-Martin has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Red Storm for the 2010-11 academic year.

"We are really excited to welcome Zakiyyah to our incoming class for next year," Barnes Arico said. "Zakiyyah is going to have an opportunity to learn from some experienced forwards in Da'Shena Stevens and Centhya Hart. She knows how to win, how to be a team player and she is willing to work hard to be successful. Her ability to run in transition, make plays in the open court and instincts make Zakiyyah a great fit to our style of play."

A 6-2 forward from DuPont Manuel High School in Louisville, Ky., Shahid-Martin is a dynamic player that is quick, athletic and active on the court. She has a long wingspan that poses problems for defenders, and her speed allows her to be strong on both ends of the floor. A hard worker both on and off the court, Shahid-Martin is a total team player that will do whatever it takes to win offensively or defensively. She is strong at the rim and in transition, and will complement the Red Storm's returning players.

Shahid-Martin led her high school team to success season after season, as DuPont Manuel won four district championships, one regional championship and a state final four. Shahid-Martin's stellar play on the court ignited her squad to a 104-25 record during her tenure. Voted her team's most valuable player, Shahid-Martin nearly averaged a double-double her senior campaign with 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. For her efforts, she was a 2010 all-district selection and a McDonald's All-American Games nominee.

Shahid-Martin will join Keylantra Langley and Briana Brown as incoming freshmen for the 2010-11 campaign.

Rated the 37th-best prospect in the country and the 13th best at her position on ESPN.com, Langley is a dynamic guard that can do it all. An extremely well-rounded player, the Bridgeport, Conn., native is a slasher who takes advantage of her size at the point position to create mismatches. Fast and quick, she can hit from anywhere on the court, and creates scoring chances by driving to the basket and drawing fouls. Her up-tempo style of play will allow her to contribute immediately in the Red Storm rotation. Out of Lauralton Hall, Langley averaged 15.2 points during the 2008-09 campaign, including a 32-point performance in a Class LL second-round playoff victory over Hamden. A two-time Connecticut Post All-Star, she has helped her high school team win over 20 games two-straight seasons.
Brown is highly-talented player that utilizes her athleticism to play strong on both ends of the court. A prolific scorer, she has already amassed 1,658 points through three seasons at King Low Heywood Thomas, and is only one of three players in school history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau on the girls side. She possesses a multitude of skills in scoring, as she can score off the catch, can take the ball to the rim and can score off the bounce. Brown is incredibly quick and a creative playmaker that is strong on the glass. In her junior campaign, the Norwalk, Conn., native averaged a double-double with 22.1 points and 15.3 rebounds, and posted 4.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game. Brown had her best performance of the season against Kingswood-Oxford on Feb. 6, 2009, scoring 32 points and grabbing 27 rebounds.

The trio will be looking to help the Red Storm build off one of its most successful seasons in history. The 2009-10 team finished the year with a 25-7 record, earning the most wins since 28 in 1982-83. St. John's posted a 12-4 slate in BIG EAST action, finishing tied for fourth in the league while tying the program mark in BIG EAST wins.

The Red Storm made its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, eventually advancing to the second round with a 65-47 win over Princeton. St. John's came close to making its first appearance in the Sweet 16, dropping a 66-65 overtime decision to then-No. 11 FSU in second-round action.

STJ posted its biggest win in program history in 2009-10, defeating then-No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 16, 76-71. It was the third win all-time for STJ over the Irish, with all three coming under the direction of Barnes Arico.