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| Team: VCU, Junior |
| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 9"
W: 205 lbs
Bday: 11/21/1988
(20 Years Old)
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Current: PF/C
NBA: PF
Possible: PF
| Round: 1 Pick: 15 in 2010 Mock Draft
Rank 7 in NCAA Juniors
Rank 17 in Top 100 Prospects
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High School: Port St. Lucie
Hometown: Fort Pierce, Fla.
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| Basic Per Game Statistics - Comprehensive Stats - Statistical Top 25s |
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| LeBron James Skills Academy Player Profiles
July 13, 2009
-Larry Sanders- Another player that evokes some pretty strong reactions on first glance, Larry Sanders may have helped himself as much as anyone just by showing up for this camp. Measuring 6-10 in shoes, with a freakish 7-6 ½ wingspan and a frame that should put on weight, Sanders probably would have been a first round pick solely based on upside had he decided to enter the draft this year. He’s also a pretty athletic guy, as he showed repeatedly by running the floor and going well out of his area for impressive rebounds on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he was an incredible presence at times, changing absolutely everything around the basket just by putting his arms in the air. He needs to do a better job not biting on pump-fakes, but his potential in this area is obviously considerable. Offensively, Sanders is extremely limited at this point in time, looking mechanical in his movements and showing a very low-skill level. He did attempt some mid-range jumpers, but doesn’t seem to have the greatest touch.
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Blogging through the Conference Tournaments
March 11, 2009
Besides Maynor’s heroics in the first half, this game might be remembered more than anything for being the day that Larry Sanders burst onto the national radar screen. Sanders completely dominated this contest, pulling down an obscene 20 rebounds, blocking 7 shots and scoring 18 points. While his rebound and blocks numbers obviously stand out, this game was noteworthy as a showcase for the unbelievable amount of progress Sanders has made on the offensive end, at least compared to where he was a year ago. Once restricted entirely to being a catch and finish player within 2 feet of the basket, Sanders impressed with his ability to make basic moves in the post with his back to the basket, finish with authority through contact and even knock down an 18-foot jump-shot –things he couldn’t even dream of doing at this point last season. He still has a substantial amount of work to do before he can be considered ready to enter the NBA draft, but considering his physical tools and terrific upside, that doesn’t seem to be as far-fetched as once thought. He’s already drawing comparisons to Theo Ratliff thanks to his ridiculous 7-7 wingspan and the way he changes the game on the defensive end and on the glass. Considering that he’s likely to return for his junior season, we’ll be back this fall with a more comprehensive breakdown of his all-around game.
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NCAA Weekly Performers, 3/12/07
March 12, 2008
While teammate Eric Maynor may have been the CAA Player of the Year and is clearly a legitimate NBA prospect, there is likely no player in the conference with as much upside as freshman big man Larry Sanders. At 6’9”, with an outrageous 7’7” wingspan, Sanders has made his name as a shot blocking menace. His 7.8 blocks per 40 minutes adjusted pace is tops in the country, and he is 15th amongst all draft prospects with his 12.7 rebounds per 40 minutes adjusted pace. DraftExpress has watched tape of Sanders and was on hand at the CAA Tournament this weekend in Richmond to see him play in person twice.
We are talking about a player who is extremely raw, but has tremendous potential. At 205 pounds, he is rail thin and desperately will need to put on a good amount of weight, probably at least 25 pounds, in order to handle the physicality of playing in the post. He doesn’t show tremendous quickness or explosiveness, but a lot of this may stem from the fact that he doesn’t appear to have completely grown into his body yet. His length helps him overcome a lot of these shortcomings against CAA competition, but these will be issues against bigger opponents.
Offensively, Sanders is extremely underdeveloped at this point, as he’s only been playing basketball for three years now. He attempts less than 4 shots per game and is not a major part of the Rams offense, mainly due to the fact that he just isn’t that good with the ball yet. According to Synergy Sports Technology, nearly 45% of his touches at this point come from cuts around the basket. When on the floor, he typically stays below the block along the baseline and acts as a safety valve option for teammates that are driving to the rim. While early in the season he would struggle even from this spot, he has gotten better at finishing around the basket as the season as progressed. In the CAA quarterfinals he scored a career high 14 points against Towson, the majority of which came off of big dunks on dishes near the hoop.
As far as his back to the basket game is concerned, Sanders really needs to improve his footwork and touch. Again his lack of substantial bulk hurts him here as he often is forced to fall away from the basket or take a tough angle on his shot, because he can’t really body up against defenders. At this point his only real move is a baby hook shot in which he spins to the middle. Often this shot is thrown up without him being completely square to the hoop and without much touch. If not for a high percentage of his shot attempts being dunks, it isn’t likely that Sanders would have such a high shooting percentage.
At this point Sanders is no real threat to step away from the basket. His ball handling skills seem to be limited to a power dribble when going towards the rim, and he hasn’t attempted more than a handful of shots from further than five feet away from the basket. The little bit we have seen of Sanders in regards to his shooting has come from the foul line. He doesn’t get there that often (2 attempts per game) but he shoots an abysmal 45.8% despite showing pretty good shooting form. He has a very long release, which may have an effect on his shot, but this is clearly something he will need to work on in the off season. The fact that he’s only dished out 4 assists in 31 games (he commits about 6 turnovers for every 1 assist) tells you all you need to know about where his understanding of the game currently lies.
Defense is where Sanders has made noise this season. He posted some very impressive block totals this season, including 9 in just 25 minutes on February 23rd versus Akron. At this point Sanders shows a tendency to wait until the shot is in the air before reacting and attempting to block it. While he is able to get away with this for the most part in the CAA against smaller opponents, this will not work against bigger and more athletic players. Rather than hanging back trying to come away with the highlight reel block, Sanders needs to work on his timing more while still playing man to man defense, something he could be very good at when he gains more experience.
As is the case with his shot blocking, Sanders excels on the glass thanks in large part to his length. He is able to haul in plenty of balls outside of his immediate area, more so than he should be able to. It’s a scary thought to think about how many rebounds Sanders has the potential to garner in the CAA if he adds enough strength and weight to hold his position better. At this point he finds himself taken out of a lot of plays, especially on the offensive end, due to that fact that opponents can box him out fairly easily because of his thin frame. Even so, Sanders is still able to pull in many rebounds over defenders backs.
Sanders is a big time project, there is no denying that. There is a tremendous amount of upside here though, with the potential to be a big time player not just in the CAA, but on a national level, if he can find a way to fill out his frame. Natural growth and maturing should help, but serious time in the weight room will be needed too. It is obviously still very early in the development process for Sanders, and it is hard to say where he will be a couple of years from now.
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