Ralph Martino, Jr. 6’6 170 2023 National Christian Academy / Team Vito
Ralph has big-time potential! At 6’6 he has the exceptional height for a combo guard and his athleticism and natural feel make for an exciting prospect. Ralph is incredibly smooth with the ball in his hands using graceful, rangy strides and great quickness in the open floor where he demonstrates good vision and passing skills. Very instinctive playmaker with the ability to create for himself and for teammates. While he possesses sound passing skills and the willingness to create for others make no mistake he’s a versatile and dynamic scorer, a threat from anywhere on the floor! Ralph uses crossovers and hesitations accompanied by a super quick burst and the ability to explode through a seam. He has amazing body control for someone his height and always plays on balance. He has a great touch and can hit shots on the move from even difficult angles. His great length and wingspan are apparent as he stretches out slicing past defenders with ease and launches himself to the rim with space-eating strides and explosive leaping ability.
Ralph can play through contact and is a creative finisher on non-dunk finishes but he won’t hesitate to go right over you and finish with thunderous rim-jarring slams! He’s exciting to watch in the open floor because of his great length and end-to-end speed and he can shift into another gear. He’s a solid ball-handler who is nearly impossible to contain, especially in secondary transition with his length, quickness, and shiftiness off the dribble. Ralph can get to the rim for highlight-reel dunks on just three steps from the volleyball line and he’s the kind of dynamic finisher that has cameramen lining up on the baselines ready to capture every electrifying finish and he gives them plenty of footage for sure. He’s so dangerous and exciting slicing and dicing up defenses en route to the rim but Ralph gets plenty of his offensive production on dribble pull-ups and shot-making range that extends well beyond the three-point stripe. He is a threat from all levels and his ability to stretch the floor with the jumper compliments his elite-level ability and explosiveness attacking the rim. He’s a very good shooter with sound mechanics and a fluid stroke. There is a smoothness to his every move, he makes putting up 20+ points per game look so effortless.
Ralph is as exciting a prospect as you’ll find in his class anywhere! He is a very good defender with excellent lateral mobility and defends the perimeter nicely. Off the ball, his anticipation skills, quickness, and length make him a threat to pick off passes im passing lanes at any time and take it coast to coast in a flash. He’s also a fantastic shot blocker and can be seen routinely flying in from help position and swatting a shot attempt away. Ralph is capable of defending multiple positions effectively. He displays a natural feel and has all the tools physically and fundamentally to elevate himself among the top prospects in his class nationally! An extremely hard-working and driven prospect, Ralph is humble and respectful off the court but fearless, ferocious on the court. He’s on the verge of exploding onto the national recruiting scene.