[MoonlightGraham]

2015/16 Senior Tribute

JAMES SANDERS

Lafayette College enrolls approximately 2500 students, and it would be almost impossible to find one who doesn't know (and like) James Sanders. The biggest of big men on campus, James has excelled in the classroom, in campus life, and most memorably, on the basketball court.

#42 C James Sanders - Lafayette - Senior
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 Height:       6-11
 Weight:       323
 High School:  Bassick High School
 Hometown:     Bridgeport, CT
 
 Attributes:
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 Type       INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA    
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 Current:    82  36  62  40   9  16  39  76  37  31  50  71  32  76  31  42    
    2014:    80  35  61  40   9  15  37  70  34  30  48  63  30  76  31  35    
    2013:    72  34  59  40   8  14  35  61  31  29  46  55  27  76  28  29    
    2012:    63  33  57  39   7  13  33  52  28  28  44  32  25  76  28  23    
    2011:    55  31  55  37   7  13  31  44  26  26  42  30  22  76  24  11    
 Potential:   B   D   C   D   F   D   C   B   C   C   C   B                

 Health:      Good                                           
 Scholarship: Yes
 Status:      Active Roster                                  
 Academics:   94
 
 Stat Averages:
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 Season   G  GS  MIN  PTS  ORE  REB  AST   TO   A/T  STL  BLK   PF
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   2012  33  33 24.2  9.3  1.2  5.6  0.8  1.5  0.56  0.3  0.2  2.7
   2013  33  33 25.9 10.4  1.4  6.1  1.1  1.8  0.64  0.5  0.2  2.4
   2014  28  28 29.3 13.3  1.8  8.5  1.7  2.0  0.84  0.6  0.5  2.8
   2015  31  31 27.9 15.4  2.1  8.2  1.5  1.7  0.87  0.7  0.6  3.4
 Career 125 125 26.7 12.0  1.6  7.0  1.3  1.7  0.87  0.5  0.4  2.8

 Shooting Averages:
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 Season  FGM  FGA   FG%  FTM  FTA   FT%  3PM  3PA   3P%  PPS   +/-
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   2012  3.4  7.5  .448  2.4  3.3  .741  0.1  0.6  .211 1.23  1.88
   2013  3.5  7.9  .442  3.3  4.7  .708  0.1  0.4  .231 1.32  7.30
   2014  4.5  9.5  .468  4.3  5.9  .729  0.0  0.3  .000 1.39  7.36
   2015  5.2 10.8  .476  5.0  6.5  .775  0.0  0.2  .167 1.42 11.00
 Career  4.1  8.9  .460  3.7  5.0  .740  0.1  0.4  .174 1.35  6.80
 
 Stat Totals:
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 Season   G  GS  MIN  PTS OREB  REB  AST   TO  STL  BLK   PF
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   2012  33  33  798  306   39  186   28   50    9    8   90
   2013  33  33  854  342   47  201   37   58   18    5   79
   2014  28  28  821  371   49  239   48   57   16   14   79
   2015  31  31  866  476   65  253   45   52   22   19  105
 Career 125 125 3339 1495  200  879  158  217   65   46  353

 Shooting Totals
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 Season  FGM  FGA  FTM  FTA  3PM  3PA  +/-
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   2012  111  248   80  108    4   19   62
   2013  115  260  109  154    3   13  241
   2014  125  267  121  166    0    8  206
   2015  160  336  155  200    1    6  341
 Career  511 1111  465  628    8   46  850
 
 Career Highs:
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 Type      Pts OReb  Reb  Ast  Stl  Blk   TO  FGM  FGA  FTM  FTA  3PM  3PA
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 Season     30    6   14    4    4    2    6   11   17   11   14    1    2
 Career     30    6   14    5    4    3    7   11   18   11   14    1    2
 
 Awards & Achievements:
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 Season   Award
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 All      Player of the Game: 14
 2011     High School: Rated *** and #274 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
 2011     High School: All-State (Connecticut)
 2014     1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
 2014     Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)
 2015     1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
 2015     Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)

Like his classmate Hubert Song, James was a starter from his first day of practice as a freshman. Many young big men take a while to learn to make good use of their size and strength. The Big Colonel grew into a starring role gradually. James developed into a dangerous inside scorer who made opponents pay dearly for concentrating their efforts too exclusively on the Leopards' high-scoring guards. His ability to draw fouls forced opposing bigs to play less aggressively, and when they fouled him, James made them pay.

Sanders took big strides as a junior. He became the most indispensable ingredient in the Leopards' increasing success, and became the first Lafayette player to be named Patriot League Player of the Year. And, as a senior, he became an even better player--he set new career highs in scoring and rebounding--and was named the conference's best player once again.

On Draft Night, the Sanders family celebrated when James' name was called as the 14th pick in Round Two. He'll play in the Summer League, before attempting to win a roster spot. I wouldn't bet against him if I were you.

A student of history, James chose his jersey number to honor baseball legend and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson, whom James' grandfather watched from the stands at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Robinson's number has been retired across Major League Baseball. Perhaps Lafayette will hang the Big Colonel's #42 jersey from the Kirby Center rafters one day.

Thanks for the memories, James.