Marte longs for offers

Josh Marte is the easily the smallest player on his CP25 Team Parsons 2019 Gauntlet basketball squad, and by more a foot when compared with his tallest teammates.

That made it not so easy for Osceola High School’s state championship point guard when CP25 ran up against a physically imposing D.C. Blue Devils travel team on Saturday in the Orlando Hoops Festival at The First Academy.

But when CP25 found itself being outhustled and outmuscled by a team that had 6-foot-9, 230-pound twins Makhi Mitchell and Makhel Mitchell clogging the lane, it was Marte — all 5-7 or so of him — who played the tough-guy role.

“It’s a game of runs. We’re good. Let’s go,” Marte could be heard saying as he locked eyes with taller teammates as CP25 came out of a first-half timeout down 31-19.

Then he let his energetic play do some talking.

Marte, a sophomore standout for Osceola’s title team last season, caused some havoc with defensive pressure and swished a 3-point shot to spark a rally. He tied up a D.C. guard for a held ball and flicked a transition pass to Osceola teammate Isaiah Palmero, who dunked as part of a run that saw Team Parsons take a short-lived 38-37 lead.

The comeback stalled and CP25 succumbed in a 62-55 loss, but Marte never surrendered.

“Everybody we put him up against, he wins,” said Osceola coach Nate Alexander, who watched courtside. “He’s even better when he goes up against another point guard that’s higher rated than he is.”

That’s a long list because Marte short.

CP25 generously listed him at 5-9, though he’s at least an inch or two shorter. That has limited the recruiting attention Marte gets while teammates like Palermo and coveted 6-9 Osceola and CP25 center Omar Payne bask in scholarship offers.

“It gets me motivation,” Marte said between playing consecutive games on Saturday. “I’m learning patience. I just play as hard as I can to show them I’m supposed to be one of those prospects they want.”

Marte said he is willing to go just about anywhere to play at a college “where I fit in” and now wants recruiters who are out in droves this month for NCAA “live” evaluation periods to look past his stature and see his impressive skill set. He can handle the ball, drain shots from deep and hold his own on defense thanks to quickness and tenacity.

He also wants to grow to at least 6-feet, which is what he said all four of his older brothers did when they finally hit a growth spurt.

“If he gets to 6-feet, he’ll really be something,” Alexander said

The Festival concludes with games from 9:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. at TFA. Team Parsons 2019 plays at 1:10. is so