Kevin Young isn’t worried about whether BYU basketball star Richie Saunders is ready for the league.
In a sitdown with BYUtv Sports Nation, Young gave his take on Saunders going for a “bargain of the price” in the upcoming NBA Draft, June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Saunders and projected first-rounder AJ Dybantsa are two key names on fans’ minds as draft day approaches.
Saunders notably missed the end of his senior season following an ACL tear in February take removed the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard from the floor. As a senior, the Riverton, Utah, native averaged 18.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors and lining himself up as a projected second-round pick.
“Honestly, they’re getting him at a bargain of the price, quite frankly,” Young said.
“I think if that (injury) didn’t happen, who knows where it would’ve been, but it is what it is, he’s fully embraced it. He’s as relaxed as I’ve ever seen Richie, which you guys know clearly he’s an intense dude, so it’s been fun to just kinda see him taking everything in stride at this point. My phone is nonstop with him. I know there’s a ton of teams that like him.”
Strengths-wise, Saunders brings a quick release and 1.3 points per possession as a result. He averaged 23.9 minutes per night across his entire career, and that motor certainly isn’t lost on scouts.
His age, though, being 25 years old, puts Saunders at a slight disadvantage compared to his draft class, which includes an average age of 19.5 for first-round picks, including his own teammate Dybantsa. Still, the resume’s there, and Saunders should likely land between the 40th and 50th pick, with most analysts citing the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers as favorites to tap the Cougar.
