Lynn carries on guard
Young stars at St. Mary’s, Lynn Tech, and Classical
Something about the city of Lynn produces guards who can pass, handle, shoot, and do everything else necessary to win on the basketball court.
The Class of 2026 has a crop of talented players who have spread out from their middle school days at St. Mary’s to star at three different programs.
Sophomore JJ Martinez stayed put, and is leading St. Mary’s (5-1) in points (21.5), rebounds (9.5), and assists (5.2) per game during his first season as the top option for the perennial Division 3 power.
Marvin Avery Jr. went to Lynn Classical to play for his dad, Marvin Avery Sr., and Giovanni Jean decided to forge his own way at Lynn Tech. Unbeknownst to Jean, fellow standout guard Andy Batista (’26) also opted for Lynn Tech, and the complementary guards are off to another strong start after leading the Tigers to a 19-4 record and Vocational Large state title last season.
“Lynn’s a big city, but it’s also a small city,” said Tech coach Corey Bingham (’05), who scored over 1,500 career points and led Lynn Tech to the state finals as a senior.
“The airwaves are always flowing. I had my eye on all of [those sophomores], including JJ. Andy and Gio decided they wanted to put Tech back on the map, so they teamed up and came here, and they’ve been on a tear ever since.”
In the Boverini Tournament over the holiday break, St. Mary’s edged Lynn Tech (6-2) in a 59-57 thriller. The result was similar to a preseason jamboree game in which Martinez led the Spartans to a narrow win over his former AAU teammates, and a summer league game played outdoors in front of a large crowd.
“Playing against JJ, we go way back, and we used to be real close,” said Jean. “He knows my game, and I know his game. It’s a good experience to have the city show up for us.”
Jean and Martinez played AAU together from fourth through eighth grade, with Avery and Batista appearing on some of those teams. Cam
Thornton, who reclassified at Brimmer & May, also joined forces at times, and they faced off in crosstown matchups with Warren Keel Jr., a reclassified 2026 guard, who transferred from Lynn English to Bradford Christian this offseason.
Competing against great players in their grade, and older grades, is part of the reason these Lynn guards have been ready for the spotlight as underclassmen.
“Growing up in Lynn, you’re always playing against someone older, or a tad better than you,” said Martinez, who took the court for a few minutes when St. Mary’s won the D3 state title two seasons ago.
“You’re able to pick things up from them. So picking up the varsity game right away wasn’t too hard for me.”
In addition to Martinez, St. Mary’s is starting eighth-grader Jake Fortier at point guard with great results, and bringing freshman Rowan Merryman off the bench as the sixth man.
Martinez is the son of two talented players: Javihan Martinez Sr., who played with Bingham under Marvin Avery Sr. at Lynn Tech from 200307, and Shena Mitchell, a 1,000-point scorer at Lynn Tech during those years.
His predecessors in the St. Mary’s backcourt, Ali Barry and David Brown Jr., also got an early start on varsity, and Martinez has taken notes from those state champions to his game, leading to a stellar performance and MVP award while leading St. Mary’s to the Boverini Tournament title.
“Definitely talent-wise, JJ is one of better players we’ve had in the past four years,” said St. Mary’s coach David Brown (’89).
“Now he’s stepped up and taken a leadership role with the other young kids. He learned a lot from David and Ali, and he’s adjusted well to getting the other team’s best punch.”
For Jean and Batista, the decision to attend Lynn Tech came from a desire to revitalize the program. The combo guards both said their respect for Bingham, and what he accomplished as a player, helped convince them to attend the Division 4 school.
“We knew we were all going to split ways at some point in life,” Jean said about his middle school and AAU teammates, adding that he decided not to play varsity at St. Mary’s his eighth grade year because he planned to go to Tech.
“The spotlight was already there for JJ. We all need our own spotlight in life. All I really want is a state championship with this team, and honestly, I’m not even worried about scoring this year. If my guys are putting up numbers, I’m going to feed them.”
Tech fell to Tyngsborough in the Round of 32 last season, but returns many of its core players, including seniors Ederick Gonzalez, Cesar Reyes, and Jayden Welch, to complement a talented backcourt. This season, Jean is averaging 15 points, 5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, while Batista is averaging 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals per game.
Those guards are looking to bring Lynn Tech back to prominence and make a name for themselves in the process.
“I always go into those matchups [against Lynn schools] with an extra chip on my shoulder,” said Batista. “Of all those players, I’m not as recognized, so I try to play my hardest to get my name recognized.
“At the end of day, it’s a city thing. We show love, and it’s great to know my class is doing such great things.”
Courtside chatter
■ Ask Burlington coach Phil Conners about Cedric Rodriguez and he’ll quickly reveal that the 6foot-5-inch senior forward could not shoot when he joined the varsity team as a freshman. A lot has changed in four years.
On Tuesday, Rodriguez canned a 3-pointer from 26 feet to eclipse 1,000 career points in a 5554 win over Arlington. He also blocked a gamewinning 3-point attempt at the buzzer for a fitting end to a memorable night.
“Cedric is a special kid,” said Conners. “Everyone in the building loves him. He’s a hard worker and he’s put in a lot of time with his shot. He adds something to his game every year.”
After not making a 3-pointer as a freshman, Rodriguez spent the offseason working tirelessly on his shooting form and release point. The work helped him transform into one of the Middlesex League’s top shooters, making a league-best 70 3pointers as a sophomore. He’s improved each season, averaging a career-best 26 points and 10 rebounds per game for the 3-5 Red Devils . . . Wareham guard Ajay Lopes also broke 1,000 career points this week, opening Friday’s 89-42 win over Monomoy with a layup to accomplish the milestone.
■ The Citi Hoops Classic returns Sunday at Emmanuel College with four games featuring three defending state champions: Burke vs. Lynn English (3 p.m.); reigning D4 champion Wareham vs. Charlestown (4:30); Lawrence vs. Grace Brethren Christian (Maryland, 6); and defending D1 champion Worcester North vs. two-time reigning D2 champion Malden Catholic (7:30 p.m.).