MELBOURNE – Florida Tech men’s basketball and head coach Billy Mims are excited to announce that Fleming Island High basketball star Elias Martin as the program’s fourth signee for the 2020 class.

Martin, a 6-6, 210-pound forward who hails from Green Cove Springs, is an impactful player who will bring an inside presence to the Panther lineup this season.

“I’m very excited to add Elias Martín to our team for the coming season,” said Mims. “I had the opportunity to see Elias play in person a couple of times over the past two years against my own son’s high school team, and I loved how hard he played.

Mims noted that Martin displayed athletic prowess underneath against much bigger players throughout his Fleming Island career.

“He’s an athletic forward who takes pride in his defense and protecting the rim. Elias is also a perfect fit academically for our university and will be studying Civil Engineering. He is a Panther Distinguished Scholar Award recipient and will represent our team well both on the court and in the classroom.”

Martin led Fleming Island to much success his final two seasons with the Golden Eagles. In 2019, Fleming Island made it all the way to the FHSAA Final Four, and this past year the team won the St. Johns River Conference Championship and a district title.

Martin, who earned an All-Clay County Second Team selection, ranked top five in Jacksonville in rebounds (10.0) and blocked shots (3.0) per game as a senior while averaging 9.5 points on 50% shooting from the floor. Additionally, he was named the Fleming Island Defensive Player of the Year for the 2019 and 2020 seasons and garnered Clay County Athlete of the Month honors in January 2020.

“Elias was an absolute pleasure to coach,” exclaimed Fleming head coach Traavis Chandler. “He was one of the most enjoyable players to watch grow from a freshman to a senior. He went from learning the game to making a very large impact in games. I don’t think Elias has even scratched the surface on what he can be yet. Florida Tech didn’t just get a good young player in Elias, but also got a very good young man. We are very proud of him.”

In addition to his success on the hardwood, Martin was also an exceptional student in the classroom. He was a member of the National Honor Society and received the Principal Scholar Award as well as the AICE Diploma.

“The main factors that led me to commit to Florida Tech were the opportunity to play for a great school with a competitive edge and team, as well as its top-class civil engineering program and academic support the school has to offer,” Martin stated. “I believe I will bring to the team hustle, defense, and the work ethic to continue to grow my game from the foundation up.”