Martel Handley is a freshman shooting guard on the men’s basketball team at Delta. He’s been playing basketball since he was in sixth grade and fell in love with it as he moved from school to school.
“I started out at Saginaw High and played freshman and JV,” explains Handley, “then I went out to Arthur Miller where I played Varsity.”
His senior year at Arthur Miller, he made second team all-conference and led his team to the conference title. Now, in his first year at Delta, Handley has high goals set for himself and his new team.
“My goal is to lead the team to a national championship.” says Handley with a smile. “I also want to become a better leader for the team.”
Handley is the second leading scorer on the team. He’s averaging 10.5 points per game, along with shooting 40 percent from the three-point range. He’s made the transition from high school to junior college look simple, but he explains it’s not as easy as it looks.
“There’s more competition,” says Handley, “you have to be more mentally focused. You have to have more determination because it’s a lot tougher here.”
As great as he is on the court, off the court may be where he shines brightest. He graduated in the top 15 of his class and was a part of his high school’s National Honor Society.
“The classroom comes first. You have to take care of business first to be able to play, so academics are the number one priority,” says Handley.
Many student-athletes stereotypically pursue degrees such as sports management so they can focus on the sport they play. This is certainly not Martel Handley. He is currently in the mechanical engineering program here at Delta.
“I like messing with cars,” explains Handley. “My dad, he used to be a handyman around the neighborhood and that’s where I really found my interest.”
So, what does the future hold for Handley?
“I want continue playing ball. But if that doesn’t work out then I want to go to the best university that I can,” says Handley.
-By Ethan Moore.
