'11 CA SF Wesley Saunders (Verbal to Harvard)

[Buffnik]

Rivals
Scout
ESPN

Windward School (Los Angeles, CA)

AAU: Compton Magic

Ht: 6-foot-5
Wt: 205 lbs

Rivals rating: 4*; #20 SF (#80 overall)
Scout rating: 2*; unranked SG
ESPN rating: 2*-86 grade; #88 PF

Reported Offers:

 

[Buffnik]

Saunders is a bit of an enigma. Just look at the scouting services. He's everywhere from a low 2* to a high 4* prospect and anything from a shooting guard to a power forward.

His travel team (Compton Magic) is where Shannon Sharpe played and is the team that CU prospect Damiene Cain plays on.

Here's what ESPN says about Saunders:

Saunders continues to be one of the most debated prospects in the west. He is a gamer that has the right approach each and every time out, but at his size his perimeter shot needs to get a whole lot better if he is to be a consistently affective scorer at the Division I level.

Basically, he's a great athlete with a solid frame. He attacks the basket, has good hands and bounce, and has all the tools to be a great rebounder from the wing position and play great defense for us. Needs work on his jumper, but is ok in the mid range and is a good free throw shooter.

Cali High has Saunders as the #16 player in the state this cycle. http://www.calihighsports.com/articles/121:

At 6'6 he is big enough to be a dominating forward at this level and projects well as a small forward at the next level. He has a really big wingspan that allows him to get that extra edge on defense either batting balls away or blocking shots. He is incredible strong and can physically overpower almost all players on the court and isn't afraid to use his body. His wide frame provides him with a great base for boxing guys out and getting rebounds.

Not only does Saunders posses the ideal athletic gifts you want in a basketball player, he has lots of skills, too.

He has good handles for somebody his size and can take guys off the dribble going in either direction. When going off the dribble he does a good job using his body to shield guys off of the ball and can bully a smaller opponent all the way to the hoop. He is a great finisher around the hoop, using those long arms to drop the ball in around defenders and he will throw down a hard dunk here and there. He can really score in the paint and shows the capabilities to do so with either hand.

On defense he is a great rebounder and has the quickness to match up against guards and the strength to take of forwards and centers. He can block shots and get steals and is overall a very strong defender.

Wesley does a great job of making plays in transition and can run the break. He can lead the break and is great at finishing at the basket or at least getting to the charity stripe, where he is a very good free throw shooter. He also is a very willing passer and does a good job of waiting to draw the defender until he dishes it off.

Overall Wesley is an extremely talented player with more room to grow. He is definitely a guy who could rise in these rankings once the season starts.

 

[Buffnik]

Saunders had the following junior stats (per game average):

Points: 22.9
Assists: 3.7
Blocks: 0.7
Rebounds: 10.7
Steals: 2.3

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/9pIJGSEA8EKzHkZHUsFreg/basketball-winter-09-10/profile-wesley-saunders.htm

 

[Buffnik]

[video=youtube;xIXXo9Cy4No]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIXXo9Cy4No[/video]

Some highlights of Saunders from the 1:00 to 1:30

 

[Buffnik]

Rivals report from Las Vegas AAU summer tourney:

Wesley Saunders, SF, Compton Magic- Plain and simple, the 6-foot-5 wing is going to cost somebody their spot in the rankings next time we update the Rivals150 for the class of 2011. A solidly built kid with outstanding body control, he keeps coming at defenses. He gets on the glass, plays defense and gets to the free throw line a ton which is great because he's a super free throw shooter.

Wesley Saunders is visiting CU this weekend.

Let's go Tad!

 

[buff4bcs1985]

Rivals report from Las Vegas AAU summer tourney:



Wesley Saunders is visiting CU this weekend.

Let's go Tad!

go tad go!!!

 

[Scotch]

He's # 80 on the Rivals 100 list. Not often the recruiting services have such a big gap between them on a prospect.

 

[Buffnik]

Cali High is reporting that Saunders loved his visit. He's going to Harvard this weekend and then will make a decision (Penn was an earlier visit and is also in the mix).

http://www.calihighsports.com/articles/186

Overall, Saunders loved Colorado.

"This is really a great place that I'm comfortable at, I could see myself going here," Saunders said.

He loved the campus and spent a lot of time on academic advisement (education is very important to him). The thing that really resonated with him is the opportunity for early playing time with our needs for at least one wing (guy who can play the "2" and "3") in this class due to the guys that are graduating.

My guess is that if Saunders doesn't go Ivy League then he'll be a Buff.

 

[Buffnik]

"He is open right now but I think after he gets back from Harvard, he will definitely sit down with his parents and talk about what they are going to do. My guess is that he'll be making a decision sometime next week."

More at Rivals...

 

[Buffnik]

http://www.thecrimson.com/blog/the-back-page/article/2010/10/7/mbasketball-saunders-thebackpage-100710/

This sucks. I thought we had a good shot at Saunders.

Hard to compete with a Harvard education if they were able to put the financial aid package together, I guess. Harvard also won 21 games last year, but usually they suck. Still, no seniors on last year's team. That's going to be a tough game on the road for the Buffs this year.

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

Can't hate on a kid for going to Harvard. Congrats Mr. Saunders.

 

[buff4bcs1985]

i could... but i think I've developed a conscience...although it could just be the schizophrenia arguing with itsself