Michigan basketball has an 'in' with 'legit' frosh point guard — he's strength coach Jon Sanderson's son
Michigan strength coach Jon Sanderson has been one of the program’s silent MVPs since joining the program under John Beilein, considered one of the best in the country at his profession. As many know, Sanderson was also an outstanding player, starting at Ohio State on the 1998-99 Final Four team and finishing his career at Ohio University.
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For years, his son, Jonathan, has been watching Michigan basketball up close and getting a front row seat to his dad’s success. Soon enough, he’s going to be part of a high major program, having already earned interest from a number of programs for his play at Saline (Mich.) High.
Sanderson, a 6-2 point guard (and probably still growing), had already been having a great season before the Hornets played an outstanding Chelsea team Tuesday night. The frosh dropped a whopping 39 on the Bulldogs in an eye-opening performance.
A local coach, who asked to remain anonymous until he seems him live (which he will over the next few weeks), has seen his film. The Chelsea game was revelation to him, too … and he already thought Sanderson was outstanding.
“Chelsea … that’s a good team,” he said. “I saw him this summer, and I can say this — he’s a point guard, a lead guard. But he also shoots it well enough that he can play off the ball.”
You can see on film, in fact, just how confident he is from behind the arc.
“He can shoot the hell out of it,” the coach continued. “He’s a high IQ kid, really good handle, good athlete … it’s hard to say what his ceiling is at that age, but he could be a 6-4, 6-5 lead guard that can shoot the hell out of it.
“It looks to me like he sees the game really well … he’s got really, really good instincts.”
He’s been doing it since the beginning of the season. Sanderson put up 20 points in the first high school game of his career, a 71-52 victory over Salem.
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“He’s a dog,” senior captain Garrett Baldwin told the Saline Post after the Decemeber win. “Twenty points is crazy for a freshman playing in the highest division in Michigan. He’s a dog. He’s going to go somewhere good playing basketball. I’m excited to see him play the rest of the year.”
“He’s a special player,” first-year coach Mike Marek added. “There are not many freshmen up on varsity and playing the way he did. He was one of the best players on the court tonight.
“I heard about him before I got to Saline and once I got here and saw the kid … he’s not just a good basketball player, he’s a great kid and that’s what I like about him the most. Yeah, he’s special and he can score buckets. But he’s a great kid who comes from a great family and I’m looking forward to a tremendous season for him.”
So is the local coach, who expects to see more huge numbers from him in the weeks, months, and years to come.
“He is the real deal,” he said.
And he’s literally in Michigan’s backyard.
Watch for more on Sanderson in the weeks to come …
