Prospect Spotlight: Kobe Sanders (2020)
Every year it seems you hear about a player who undergoes a massive growth spurt that opens up their recruiting to new levels. A few years ago, KZ Okpala went from a 5-10 freshman to a 6-8 Top 50 prospect…
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Continue ReadingEvery year it seems you hear about a player who undergoes a massive growth spurt that opens up their recruiting to new levels.
A few years ago, KZ Okpala went from a 5-10 freshman to a 6-8 Top 50 prospect by his senior year. Anthony Davis grew from 6-2 to 6-10 between his sophomore and senior seasons before headed to Kentucky as the country’s top prospect.
While no one is saying that Kobe Sanders is the next Anthony Davis, his big growth spurt has made him one of the most intriguing prospects on the West Coast.
Sanders, a 6-6 shooting guard at Christian High School in El Cajon, started his career as a lanky, 5-11 marksman at Steele Canyon.
The 7-inch growth spurt over the three years didn’t come without pain and awkward moments, but he has emerged from it as a Division 1 combo guard prospect. Sanders just picked up his first offer from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after the Section 7 Team Camp.
“It was amazing,” Sanders said of the offer. “I was very thankful and grateful, it is something I have been dreaming of since I was young. It’s amazing to finally get it.”
What has made Sanders so appealing to coaches is that he has grown into his skill set, making him the type of big guard colleges covet.
“As I grew, I just became more appealing to the eye,” Sanders said. “More coaches found me more interesting, and a lot of coaches like big guards, so for me to keep the same skill level from 5-11 to 6-6 is a big jump.”
In addition to Cal Poly, Army, Navy, Northeastern, Dartmouth, Princeton and Cornell are all recruiting Sanders, who has a 4.1 GPA and 1210 SAT.
“I feel like I bring to any program a high IQ, a player that can space the floor and shoot the ball, and really create for his teammates,” Sanders said.
He points to improved strength (he’s 170 pounds), finishing and improving his explosiveness as areas he’s looking to improve.
“I am looking for the highest education I can get while playing the best basketball,” Sanders said.