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Platteville's Sami Martin makes her college choice
Junior standout accepts D1 scholarship offer from Bradley University
Sami Martin 5-22-19
Platteville junior Sami Martin verbally committed to accept a full Division 1 scholarship to play basketball at Bradley University beginning in 2020–21.

PLATTEVILLE — Platteville junior Sami Martin has made her decision. The highly-sought after 6’2” center verbally committed to play Division 1 college basketball on a full athletic scholarship for Bradley University last week. She announced her decision via Twitter Thursday. 

Bradley is a private university in Peoria, Ill. founded in 1897, that enrolls 5,400 students. The Braves finished 20–10 overall and 10–8 in the Missouri Valley Conference this past season under head coach Andrea Gorski, who just finished her third season at her alma mater.

Martin, who was named the SWC Player of the Year and WBCA Division 3 first-team All-State at the conclusion of this past season, also had offers from Air Force, Illinois State, Northern Colorado, as well as Division 2 Winona State, Minnesota State, University of Mary and Northern Michigan. She also had drawn interest and took unofficial visits to Wisconsin, Marquette, UW–Green Bay, Iowa, Loyola (Ill.), South Dakota and South Dakota St.

 This past season, Martin led the Hillmen to a 20–5 overall record, a second-place finish in the SWC at 8–2 and a third-straight WIAA Division 3 regional title with a 47–46 victory over Lodi. Platteville’s season ended a week later with a 78–61 loss to eventual D3 state champion Marshall in the D3 sectional finals. It was the second time in three seasons that Martin and the Hillmen advanced to the sectional final.

She averaged a team-high 16.5 points, a team-best 11.5 rebounds, as well as 2 steals, 1.5 assists and 0.5 blocks per game in 22 contests this season. She shot a team-high 46.4 percent from the field (130 of 280), 68.9 percent from the free throw line (104 of 151) and made 4 of 7 3-point attempts. Martin, who missed three conference games and most of Platteville’s non-conference victory over Cuba City with a concussion, averaged 16.1 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game in seven conference games.

Martin also became the third player in program history to surpass 1,000 points for her career during a 61–60 win over Lancaster on Jan. 17. She will enter her senior year with 1,118 points, trailing school record holder Nikki Taggart (1,381) by 263 points. Martin is a three-time first-team All-SWC selection and three-year starter for the Platteville.

Martin also plays AAU travel ball with Flight Elite, a club out of Appleton. She played in a tournament in Dallas over the weekend and will be in Minnesota, Indiana and Atlanta, Ga. this summer as well. Her AAU teammates include fellow Bradley commit Caroline Strande of Racine Lutheran, and Iowa–State recruit Lexi Denarski of La Crosse Aquinas.

Martin earned WBCA D3 all-state honorable mention as a sophomore when she averaged 15.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game while leading Platteville to a 20–5 overall mark and an 8–2 second-place finish in the SWC. She averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and shot 47.5 percent, while helping the Hillmen post a 21–5 mark and a perfect 10–0 conference title two years ago as a freshman.

Martin is the daughter of Shawn and Rachel Martin.