(2026) - PG Jonathan Sanderson to Notre Dame

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Sanderson attends Saline HS in Saline, MI and is the son of the Michigan basketball strength coach who very recently had a close encounter of the Juwan Howard kind.  He played AAU for Midwest Basketball Club on 3SSB circuit.  Haven't found a good source for tracking his game-by-game stats.  Earlier this month, he did score 51 pts. against Canton.

@jonathan_sand10

247

Rivals

Hudl

 

https://www.insidethehall.com/2023/08/24/class-of-2026-point-guard-jonathan-sanderson-took-an-unofficial-visit-to-iu-on-wednesday/

 

 

[Demo]

4 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Sanderson attends Saline HS in Saline, MI and is the son of the Michigan basketball strength coach who very recently had a close encounter of the Juwan Howard kind.  He played AAU for Midwest Basketball Club on 3SSB circuit.  Haven't found a good source for tracking his game-by-game stats.  Earlier this month, he did score 51 pts. against Canton.

@jonathan_sand10

247

Rivals

Hudl

 

https://www.insidethehall.com/2023/08/24/class-of-2026-point-guard-jonathan-sanderson-took-an-unofficial-visit-to-iu-on-wednesday/

 

 

Had forgotten his dad’s role on the staff. That would certainly seem to negate any UM advantage. 

[Scotty R]

Didn't his dad play basketball at OSU

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

https://247sports.com/college/indiana/longformarticle/indiana-hoosiers-basketball-jonathan-sanderson-2026-saline-michigan-midwest-basketball-club-point-guard-213988211/

[Demo]

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/iu-basketball-recruiting-indiana-offers-2026-point-guard-jonathan-sanderson/?fbclid=IwAR29lpRWzWhyrqIvq1wf2weAFVzfBPYS9aFiI2L_TeHmbiIwCJpH3YJG40Y

[Demo]

Will be playing up on the Adidas circuit this year. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

32 pts in a 57-50 win over Flat Rock.  

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Haven't really been able to follow Sanderson's season other than seeing how many points he scored but nothing further.  Team is 8-1 on the season and his last 2 games were on the NFHS network and several more will be streamed.  In his 32 point game against Flat Rock, I scored him with 6r; 1a; 2s;  0b;  0t.    10-24 on FG;  5-12 on 3s;  7-9 FT.

Last night a 67-44 win over Dexter (4-6).  18p;  5r;  5a;  5s;  0b;  1t    8-20 FG;  2-10 on 3s;  0 FT.

FWIW I think he's got quick hands.  Also can create his own shot.  Gets his defender backpedaling faking a drive and then takes a stepback 3.  Not all of his 3-pt attempts are pretty and IMO some are taken way to deep.  7-22 in 2 games is too small a sample to draw any valid conclusions on his 3-point ability.  

His 9-game scoring average is 28.7 but no idea what his season shooting % has been.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Saline (8-2) lost 59-57 to Chelsea.  Sanderson 27p.

[lillurk]

In re: the tiff between his father (UM’s well-regarded strength coach since Beilein) and Juwan: https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/sanderson-not-working-bball-team-still-working-um-mlive

Interesting. I’m not on the “blame Clif Marshall for shooting woes” train but should IU decide to look elsewhere…

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

50-43 win over Ann Arbor Pioneer.  Sanderson 25p led all scorers.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

From mlive.com -

SALINE – Jonathan Sanderson welcomes the pressure.

After having one of the best freshman seasons in the state of Michigan last year and earning more than a dozen Division I basketball offers, the expectations only increased for Sanderson entering his sophomore year with Saline.  But unlike other underclassmen who may have shied away from the spotlight, Sanderson has walked into it, and has become of nation’s top sophomore guards.

How does he do it? It’s simple to Sanderson.  “I just love the journey,” Sanderson said. “Just putting in the work. I find it’s pure beauty and I love it.”

The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging well over 20 points per game and has had scoring outputs of 30, 32, 40 and 51 points this year, all while being the focal point of opposing defenses.

“The gameplan is usually on me,” Sanderson said. “It’s almost every team, but we just gotta cut off that. What (the opponents) do, we have to counter.”

The Hornets counter with a solid cast of players around Sanderson, who take some of the load off the 4-star recruit each night.  “It is easier, but at the same time, all of (the opponents’) game plans are to stop Jon,” said Saline coach Michael Marek. “We have to play chess with them and counter. We’ve got a cast around him and we’re young, which means we have a bright future.”

“My mindset always going into the game, even though it’s cocky or confident, is just I don’t feel pressure,” Sanderson said. “Pressure will build me. It will help me out. I like the crowd; it helps me out overall.”

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

70-57 win over Bedford.  Sanderson 38p that included 7-3s.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

18 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

70-57 win over Bedford.  Sanderson 38p that included 7-3s.

post-game story:  https://thesalinepost.com/g/saline-mi/n/235769/basketball-sanderson-scores-38-saline-defeats-bedford

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Saline ran into a buzzsaw at Ann Arbor Huron and lost 65-52.  AAH was quicker, more athletic and really controlled the boards and got way too many offensive rebounds - sound familiar?  Sanderson is extremely active, always moving and a pretty good ball handler.  Tonight it seemed like he was trying to do too much by himself and he didn't have a good shooting night.  He finished with 25p but on 11-30 FG and just 3-15 on 3s.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

On the road, Saline (11-3) beat Ann Arbor Skyline (6-8) 57-52.    29p;  2r;  1a;  4s;  0b;  3t       12-26 FG;  3-8 on 3s;  2-5 FT

Saline trailed 46-39 after 3Q and then outscored Skyline 18-6 in the 4th.  Sanderson scored 10 of his 29 in the 4th.

IMO he tends to play a little out-of-control and forces shots when he'd be better off passing to a teammate.  5 of his missed 2-point attempts were at the rim trying to make something of nothing.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Saline takes down Dexter 64-48 and improves to 12-3.  Sanderson 17 pts.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

54-45 win over Ypsilanti Lincoln.  Sanderson led all scorers with 29.