2024 Guard Jakai Sanders Commits to St. Peter's

August 26, 2024 by Brian Flinn

One of the best players in the PSAL this past season, point guard Jakai Sanders helped lead Eagle Academy II to a Brooklyn borough championship in his final year. Shortly after, the 6-foot-3 lead guard committed to Siena. 

And then the Siena staff was let go. A coaching search happened, and Sanders was left looking for a new home for next season. After hearing from a couple of programs, Sanders opted to go to the west and join PHH Prep’s Diamond Doves OTE team for a post-grad year. 

Sanders also suited up with the NY Gauchos and was able to again showcase his high level defense and playmaking ability on a national stage. The move ultimately paid off. St. Peter’s had an open scholarship and decided to ultimately bring Sanders into the program starting this fall.

 A fairly young team overall, Sanders’ ability to steady a unit and make sure his guys are in the right spot could prove to be highly beneficial to the program. While their top three scorers have moved on, wings Roy Clark and Marcus Randolph return to lead the team. Sanders fits well next to both of them as a player and plays a mature style of basketball that should allow him to find minutes early in his career. 

At 6-foot-3, Sanders also has the ability to play and guard multiple positions. His senior year at Eagle he hit a number of big shots to win games and stepped up when his team needed him the most. While he won’t be asked to play such a central role early, it’s fairly easy to see a future where Sanders develops into an all-league caliber player in a couple of seasons. To add a player of that caliber this late in the game is a major win for the New Jersey program.