Fast Eddie has his point guard.
Rutgers men’s basketball coach Eddie Jordan landed the biggest recruit in his short time in Piscataway, luring senior point guard Corey Sanders, a top-75 four-star floor general from Florida who had ample interest and offers from other major Division I programs.
“Corey Sanders has a lot of talent wrapped up in his 6-foot-2 frame,” Scout.com national recruiting analyst Evan Daniels said. “He’s quick, he’s athletic, he can get into the paint. He’s a guy who can really put up some points from the PG position. He’s not a true PG, but he can really score the basketball, off the dribble and shooting the ball.”
Sanders released a YouTube video, entitled “#Decisions,” on Thursday in which he announced his decision.
“I feel like there is nothing but love,” he said, referring to Rutgers as he put on a red hat with the block R. “I’m where Ray Rice was. Ray Rice school.”
Sanders de-committed from Central Florida last year and has said UNLV, Tennessee, DePaul and South Florida were among the schools recruiting him. He visited Rutgers unofficially in August while in town for a few grassroots events.
His addition could greatly diminish Rutgers’ chances with coveted top-10 recruit Isaiah Briscoe, the New Jersey point guard who has decided to wait until the spring to decide and has shown interest in Rutgers. But Sanders is certainly the type of talent needed as Rutgers joins the Big Ten, particularly after 2015 pledges Leroy Butts and Austin Burnette backed out over the summer.
“Anytime you can get a top-100 kid’s commitment, it’s a big deal,” Daniels said. “Rutgers hasn’t had a lot of recruiting success lately. He is a guy I think can help them.”