Former Gator Alijah Martin Emerging as One of NBA's Rising Stars

Alijah Martin helped lead the Florida Gators to a national championship in his only season with the program.

Alijah Martin helped lead the Florida Gators to a national championship in his only season with the program. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Several NBA G League players earned selections to the NBA’s Rising Stars event on Feb. 13, including former Florida Gator Alijah Martin, the NBA announced on Monday. The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars tournament takes place in Los Angeles, featuring during All-Star Weekend. 

Martin has showcased his talents mostly in the G League. In 21 appearances with the Toronto Raptors’ G-League affiliate, Raptors 905, he has averaged 18.7 points per game. He is shooting 50 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three, while also grabbing 4.1 rebounds and dishing out 2.8 assists per game. 

Earning his 1st Castrol Rising Stars selection... Alijah Martin of the @Raptors!@martin_alijah was drafted as the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Florida. pic.twitter.com/UIalwbeux9

— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) January 27, 2026

The former Gator posted double figures in every game in the G-League this season, including 10 20-point games and two 30-point games. His season-high came back at the beginning of December, supplying 32 points and nailing five triples. 

Toronto has slowly incorporated him into its NBA roster this season, as well. He has made 10 appearances this season, making his NBA debut on Dec. 7, against the Boston Celtics.

He received a significant boost in his minutes over a three-game stretch near the beginning of January. From Jan. 9 to Jan. 12, Martin played more than 12 minutes in each. 

Furthermore, he played just over 29 minutes on Jan. 11, against the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored nine points in that game and had three assists and one block to go with. 

Martin was a key piece for the Gators during their national championship run in the 2024-25 season. 

He appeared in 38 games for the Gators, starting 36 of them. In those games, Martin averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists, while also being one of the team’s best defenders. He connected on 35 percent of his triples and shot 45.2 percent from the field overall in his career with Florida. 

His games against UConn in the Round of 32 and Auburn in the Final Four were his most impressive during the Gators’ postseason. He scored 18 against the Huskies, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and 2-for-4 from deep. As for his outing against the Tigers, Martin poured in 17 points, including two highlight reel dunks on the fastbreak. 

Florida head coach Todd Golden touched on Martin's inclusion in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Game on Tuesday. 

“I’m not surprised,” Golden said. “He’s very confident, and he always backs up how he feels. He’s never scared on the floor… He’s going to be a great competitor, and he’s not going to be afraid regardless of who he’s up against. The fact that in a short period of time, he’s put himself in a position to play in that game, it’s just not that surprising… He was a great competitor for us last year, and I think that’s a big part of who he is.”