Staten Island used to be the forgotten borough when it came to basketball. It dominated locally in football, baseball and soccer, but hoops was a wasteland. College coaches avoided it like a difficult non-conference game.
Slowly but steadily, however, the borough is catching up to the rest of the city, producing quality Division I prospects on an almost yearly basis.
"I've always kind of maintained there is talent on Staten Island," said Chris Alesi, a Staten Island native and AAU coach with local dynamo New Heights. "Having them play with our program at New Heights and playing for me, it's taken their recruiting to the next level, and showcased what I've always said."
Tottenville forward Nakye Sanders, a gifted 6-foot-7 senior known for his relentless motor and rebounding prowess, became the latest one, verbally committing to Duquesne and former LIU coach Jim Ferry this week.
Sanders has followed a familiar path to recent Division I players, such as Rhode Island sophomore forward Hassan Martin (Curtis) and St. Francis College freshman Glenn Sanabria (St. Peter's), received the needed exposure playing with New Heights while making an impact on the Island in a high school setting.
"I definitely take a lot of pride in it," Sanders said. "Brooklyn is always known for basketball. But there's upcoming talent on Staten Island. It's getting more competitive.
"I think it's gonna blow up, actually."
He averaged 19 points and 21 rebounds per game last season for Tottenville and followed it up with a huge year on the AAU circuit. Chris Alesi, a Staten Island native and AAU coach with local dynamo New Heights thinks he can eventually be an all-league player and a contributor immediately for Duquesne. A coach familiar with Sanders' game sees similarities between him and former LIU standout Jamal Olasewere, who was the NEC Player of the Year under Ferry and is now playing professionally overseas.
"He can't shoot it like Olasewere, but has everything else and might rebound it better than Olasewere, and he's still very young," the coach said. "Great pickup for Jim Ferry."
At 16 years old, Sanders is a year younger than most seniors, and initially planned to wait until the spring. After landing his first scholarship offer from St. Peter's, scores of other schools got involved. He was going to take several visits, but after taking an official last weekend to the on-the-rise Atlantic 10 school, seeing the city of Pittsburgh, getting to know the coaches better, working out with the team, he was sold.
Like Martin and Sanabria, who turned down bigger schools to play at the right level, Sanders did the same. St. John's and Seton Hall offered him a scholarship, but it was clear Duquesne was the right fit.
Duquesne, in particular assistant coach Brian Nash, made Sanders a priority, frequently making the trek to Staten Island and tracking his New Heights team all summer. There wasn't a game he didn't see a coach in a Duquesne shirt closely watching.
"They only had one scholarship and they told me from Day 1 I was their No. 1 option," Sanders said. "That was a big role in my decision going there.
"It was the perfect fit for me. Everything I expressed to my mom and my grandma I wanted, they had."
Syracuse is hosting New Jersey guards Tyus Battle and Malachi Richardson, who has committed to the Orange, this weekend.
Providence offered St. Raymond sophomore duo Sidney Wilson and Isaiah Washington scholarships on Tuesday while their teammate, junior guard Caheim Brown, picked up an offer from Hofstra on Wednesday.
Archbishop Stepinac wing Jordan Tucker landed a scholarship offer from Connecticut on Tuesday.
St. Francis College and NJIT have extended scholarship offers to Queens High School of Teaching senior Joshua Nurse.
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