Biography
Career Summary:
Comes to Maryland having played in 82 career games including 47 starts … Has averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds overall in his collegiate career … In 2024-25 at Virginia, started 26 of 29 games played averaging 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting a career-best .347 from three-point range … Played his first two seasons at San Diego State where he started 21 of 53 games played averaging 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game … Has a total of 545 career points, 297 rebounds, 59 assists, 32 steals and 20 blocks through three seasons.
2024-25 (Junior at Virginia)
• Started 26 of 29 games
• Missed three games with a foot injury
• Averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds
• Shot 42 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free throw line
• Scored a career-high 22 points (7 of 9 FGs, 7 of 8 FTs) with five rebounds vs. NC State (12/31/24)
• Tallied 21 points (7 of 9 FGs, 7 of 8 FTs) along with eight rebounds vs. American (12/22/24)
• Scored 19 points and added career-best 10 rebounds at Louisville (1/18/25)
• Scored 19 points along with five rebounds at No. 13 Florida (12/4/24)
• Recorded first career double-double with 11 points and career-high 10 rebounds at Cal (1/8/25)
• Registered 15 points and eight rebounds vs. Bethune-Cookman (12/12/24)
• Recorded 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks vs. No. 21 Memphis (12/18/24)
• Scored 15 points along with five rebounds vs. Coppin State (11/11/24)
• Netted 12 points vs. Louisville (1/4/25)
• Scored 12 points vs. No. 22 St. John’s (11/22/24)
• Netted 12 points (3 of 4 3FGs) vs. Florida State (3/4/25)
• Totaled 11 points and five rebounds in his UVA debut vs. Campbell (11/6/24)
• Tallied 10 points before being ejected for a flagrant two foul vs. Boston College (1/21/25)
• Collected nine points and six rebounds vs. Notre Dame (1/25/25)
• Recorded nine points and six rebounds vs. No. 13 Clemson (3/1/25)
• Missed the Miami (1/29/25), Virginia Tech (2/1/25) and Pitt (2/3/25) games due to injury
2023-24 (at San Diego State)
• Appeared in all 37 games including starting the first 21 games of the season
• Averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.2 minute per game
• Added 29 assists, 17 steals and 11 blocks
• Shot 41.9 percent (83-of-198) from the floor, 32.2 percent (39-of-121) from beyond the arc and 96.0 percent (24-of-45) from the line
• Scored a career-high 16 points vs. Washington (11/19) in the championship game of the Continental Tire Main Event, among six games in double digits on the season
• Scored 14 points at UNLV (3/5), 13 at UC San Diego (12/1), 12 vs. New Mexico (2/16), 11 vs. Long Beach State (11/14) and 10 vs. San Jose State (2/27)
• Knocked down multiple field goals in 25 contests, including a career-high five buckets at UC San Diego, vs. New Mexico (2/16) and at UNLV (3/5)
• Shot 50.0 percent or better in 16 contests
• Had nine games where he hit multiple 3-pointers, which included four, a career-best, at UNLV (3/5) as well as three vs. Washington, at UC San Diego, vs. Wyoming (1/23) and vs. Boise State (3/8)
• Went to the line six times vs. Long Beach State and knocked them all down (6-of-6) for career-highs in both categories
• Totaled four or more rebounds in 18 games, led by a career-high equaling eight vs. Washington
• Ripped down multiple offensive rebounds in 10 contests and matched his career-best with three offensive boards vs. Washington, vs. Wyoming, at Colorado State (1/30), and at UNLV (3/5)
• On the defensive glass, equaled a career-high five rebounds – vs. Washington, vs. Stanford (12/21), at Gonzaga (12/29) and at San Jose State (1/9) – among eight games with at least four defensive boards
• Among nine games with multiple assists, dished out a season-best and career-high matching three vs. St. Katherine (12/19)
• Blocked two shots at UNLV (3/5) and a career-best four vs. Saint Mary’s (11/17) in the Continental Tire Main Event
• Established a new career-high with four steals at Brigham Young (11/10) and also had multiple steals, two in each game, vs. Cal State Fullerton (11/6) and at San Jose State
• Logged double digit minutes in every game, including a career-high 35:23 vs. Washington (11/19), and was on the floor for at least 20 minutes in 18 contests.
2022-23 (at San Diego State)
• Appeared in 16 games all off the bench
• Averaged 0.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game
• Shot 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from the field, 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from the bonus distance and 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from the line
• Played a season-high 24:58 vs. Occidental (12/2)
• Twice, vs. Occidental and Kennesaw State (12/12) knocked two a season-best two field goals and in the Kennesaw State game his two buckets were 3-pointers, his only two of the season
• Recorded three games with multiple rebounds, including a single-game high eight vs. Occidental, which included three on the offensive glass, also a single-game best
• Scored a season-best six points against Kennesaw State
• Dished out three assists vs. Occidental and Kennesaw State
High School
• A 2022 graduate of Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Ariz.
• A four-start rated recruit, 1,000 points scorer and McDonald’s All-American nominee
• A three-year letter winner at Sunnyslope after attending Rancho Solano High in Scottsdale, Ariz., as a freshman
• As both a junior and senior, earned back-to-back Conference 6A Player of the Year, 6A Southwest Section Player of the Year, and Arizona Republic All-Arizona Team honors
• Won the state champion as a junior after guiding the Viking to a 21-1 overall record and averaging 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists
• In three seasons at Sunnyslope his teams posted a 69-10 mark, including 23-3 in league play, and in his final two seasons he was 46-4 and 14-0 in Conference 6A play
• As a senior averaged 22.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while leading his team to the state tournament’s quarterfinal round
Personal
• The son of Andrea and Yaki Saunders
• Father played basketball at Arkansas State
• Chose San Diego State out of high school over Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech and South Carolina, among others
