The comparisons will be impossible to avoid.  

They'd be understandable based on his 6-foot-10, 200-pound frame (and impressive wingspan) alone.

Throw in his jersey number – a familiar No. 21 – and Melian Martinez has already heard his name and that of a former Bonnies center mentioned in the same breath.

And while filling the shoes vacated by four-year Bonnie Osun Osunniyi will be incredibly difficult, Martinez is up for the challenge.

"I feel that I can always be better, every day. I'm respectful to what Osun did; he did some insane things," he said. "But I can see myself chasing that record, God willing. I just really, really love to block shots and give 100 percent on defense."

'That record,' of course, would be the all-time St. Bonaventure blocks record established by Osunniyi before he finished his Bona's career last March.

Though talk of the number 305, representing the Bonaventure swats benchmark, can be curbed for some time down the road potentially, what is known about Martinez is the potential the Dominican Republic native brings with him to Western New York.

"Melian is an exciting addition to the program.  He is tremendously athletic; someone who runs the floor as well as any player at his position since I've been here," head coach Mark Schmidt said when Martinez committed in late June. "His ability to block shots and protect the rim will bring an intimidating presence to our defense.  He has tremendous upside and endless potential.  We are thrilled he decided to join the Bonnies."

 

Martinez has been a rising star in the prospect ranks since he started playing seriously at 12 years old. He came to the United States to further his development, playing for the likes of former Atlantic 10 and NBA star David West in the North Carolina AAU circuit.

"I saw the opportunity to go the United States and knew I had to take it seriously. There aren't words for me to describe how my family helped me through the process. My brother was a good coach for me, but when I went to the United States I was by myself for the first time," Martinez said. "I had to look at it as an opportunity not only for myself but for my family. Now that I have the chance to play Division I, the next step is to play in the NBA and I really feel I have a chance to do that."

He finished his high school career at North Florida Educational Institute in Jacksonville, posting 8.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for a squad that reached the state final four last year.

There came another interesting St. Bonaventure numerical comparison.

"My favorite memory was scoring 31 points in a game," he says, before smiling when told of the significance that number holds in Bonaventure basketball tradition.

Yes, a certain Bob Lanier made the No. 31 famous in college basketball and the late Lanier's jersey hangs in the Reilly Center rafters as a permanent reminder of his greatness.

Filling the stat sheet isn't among the things Martinez is truly concerned about on the court, though.

"I'm an unselfish player, if someone is hot, I'm going to give them the ball and let them roll," he emphasized.

There was a time that baseball, not basketball, seemed like the likely route for Martinez.

Growing up in the baseball-rich Dominican Republic, he has the game in his genes. His father played professionally in affiliated ball, reaching the Triple-A level in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before also playing pro ball in Japan for a year. Melian spent time in Japan with his father then, though he was too young to remember those days.

Baseball "just wasn't his thing" though, and after awhile, his family saw the talent Melian boasted on the basketball court.

"He always told me to be myself and not give up on my dreams," Martinez says of his father, although he may have had baseball dreams for his son at first.

"At first he was like, why do you want to play basketball instead of baseball, but he said, I love you and will help you in any way I can."

With great coaching throughout his development, AAU taught him to time his blocking ability and become a strong defensive presence he says, it was a member of his family who instilled the work ethic he'll need to achieve his lofty goals at the Division I level.

"My brother would have me wake up at 7 and go to the court and work until 1. I was just a kid and like, why do I have to wake up at 7 to play basketball? He was like wake up at 7, that's it, bro," Martinez said. "I was throwing up and he would tell me to stop crying. At the next level it's going to be like that. You have to be strong. I'm just trying to teach you how strong you need to be. I really understand that now and appreciate that. My family really loves me and wants the best from me and I want to do it for them."

That work, and natural ability, put Martinez on the radar for many programs this past spring.

But the trip up the East Coast all the way to Western New York felt right after making his on-campus visit and talking with the Bonnies coaching staff.

"Bonaventure treated me like family. Sometimes when you're on a basketball scholarship visit, you're treated like a celebrity," he said. "At Bonaventure you're not treated like a celebrity; you're treated like family and I really liked that. I really felt that if I went there they would help me achieve my goals."
 

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