Pac-10 schools after Saunders
At the Fullcourt Press Easter Classic in Las Vegas last weekend, Wesley Saunders was at his best when he got the ball in transition and made things happen.
Sometimes he'd pull up and shoot. Sometimes he'd take it hard to the basket. Sometimes defenders would help on Saunders, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Los Angeles Windward, and he'd find an open teammate for an easy shot.
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Saunders is best when getting up and down the court and that's what he's looking for in a college program - the ability to be creative in transition and not sit in a half-court offense that milks the shot clock.
"I definitely want to play for a team that gets up and down so I could slash to the basket and do things off the dribble and where I could create for my teammates on the wing," Saunders said.
Stanford, UCLA, USC, Cal and Arizona is an early list for Saunders, who missed Friday's action but was one of the top players on a loaded Compton Magic team during the weekend that featured former Oregon State commit Jahii Carson and 2012 stud Gabe York.
For Saunders, it's still much too early to have a favorite or even a few programs that stand out. Since many Pac-10 programs are recruiting him, the Los Angeles shooting guard is willing to listen to everybody.
"I'm pretty much just keeping all my options open and not in any kind of rush to make a decision," said Saunders, who also lists Michigan, Oregon State and Vanderbilt. "I'm just keeping my options open and I'm open to any school.
"I'm not in a rush to get it over with. My parents and I know we want to take our time and find the right school with good academics and athletics that would fit me. It is a really big decision for me so I'm just taking my time."
Location is not a huge deal for Saunders but he'd prefer to stay closer to home if possible. The most important thing, he said, is that he finds the right system where he can run up and down the court and make things happen.
"I'd probably rather stay close to home but Arizona isn't too far from home and Stanford's not that far from home so that's not too bad," Saunders said. "I'd be willing to go to the East Coast if it was the right fit."