Nakye Sanders (born July 6, 1998) is an American professional basketball player SIG Strasbourg of the French LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Duquesne Dukes and Towson Tigers.

Nakye Sanders
No. 1 – Basketball Nymburk
PositionForward
LeaguePro A
Champions League
Personal information
Born (1997-11-01) November 1, 1997 (age 27)
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High schoolTottenville (Staten Island, New York)
College
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022CD Povoa
2023Balıkesir BB
2023–presentSIG Strasbourg

High school career

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Sanders attended Tottenville High School on Staten Island. He played four years of varsity basketball and led the team in scoring all four years.[1] During his junior year, he caught the eyes of several NCAA Division I programs, getting offers from schools including Manhattan, Rhode Island and Drexel.[2] Sanders also played AAU basketball for New Heights, with the likes of Ty Jerome. In 2014, Sanders made his commitment to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3]

College career

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Sanders played two years at Duquesne University, where he came off the bench during his freshman season, then averaged 5.06 points per game in 21 starts during his sophomore year.

Sanders transferred to Towson University in 2017 and had to sit out one year due to NCAA transfer eligibility rules. At Towson, Sanders started 50 of 62 games over two seasons.[4]

Professional career

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CD Povoa (2021–2022)

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Sanders signed his first professional contract with CD Povoa of Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol in September 2021. He averaged 15.5 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game in his first professional season.[5] He did not resign with CD Povoa for the following season.

Balıkesir BB (2023)

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On March 13, 2023, he signed with Balıkesir BB of the Türkiye Basketbol Ligi.

SIG Strasbourg (2023–present)

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On August 11, 2023, he signed with SIG Strasbourg of the French LNB Pro A.[6]

Personal life

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Sanders was born in Staten Island, New York to Corey Sanders and Maureen Lundy. On June 8, 2015, Sanders' father, Corey, was killed in a motorcycle accident.[7] He cites his favorite athlete as Kobe Bryant.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Dowd, Tom (8 February 2015). "Tottenville's Nakye Sanders counters an eye-opening debut with a superstar finish". SILive.
  2. ^ Braziller, Zach (5 July 2014). "Staten Island's Sanders in demand as dominant hoops forward".
  3. ^ Dowd, Tom (6 October 2014). "Tottenville's Nakye Sanders commits to Duquesne (photos)". silive.
  4. ^ "Nakye Sanders Player Profile, Towson - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
  5. ^ De Biase Jr, Charlie (28 September 2021). "Former Tottenville hoops star Nakye Sanders inks pro contract in Europe". SILive.
  6. ^ "Nakye Sanders boucle le recrutement". sigstrasbourg.fr (in French). August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Lee, Edward. "'It gives me a fire': Tragedy shaped Nakye Sanders' life, but hasn't broken Towson basketball player's spirit". Baltimore Sun.
  8. ^ "Nakye Sanders - Men's Basketball". Towson University Athletics.
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