It has been an eventful couple of weeks for the Virginia Cavaliers and their fans as Tony Bennett and his staff picked up five key pieces in the transfer portal: Jalen Warley, TJ Power, Carter Lang, Dai Dai Ames, and Elijah Saunders.
The Virginia faithful has a lot of homework to get done before the season begins to get to know these new faces and what they bring to the table. I decided to do my part to help on this front. On Tuesday, I had the privilege of sitting with San Diego State transfer Elijah Saunders to discuss his recruitment, who he is as a basketball player and as a person, what he’s heard about UVA’s plans for its offense, and much more.
For the interview, Elijah was repping a UVA polo, and his excitement about being a ‘Hoo was evident from beginning to end. We will love Elijah Saunders as a player and even more as a perso
n. You entered the transfer portal on April 29th and committed to UVA May 6th, what was the whole process like for you?
“I was kind of undecided after the season ended and we (San Diego State) lost in the Sweet Sixteen, and then I started hearing what I could have in the portal, like the schools I could play for and the opportunities that I could have with them. I thought there was more opportunity for me in the portal, being on a bigger platform in a bigger league. I wasn’t even thinking Virginia would be one of the schools I was looking at or hearing from.
I was trying to get in and out of the portal, as soon as possible I was trying to get out. I wanted to take my calls, go on visits, and then commit.”
What schools did you hear from/visit?
“It seemed like I talked to everyone; it was a lot. Louisville, Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Arizona, Arizona, Arkansas, and more. The schools that talked to me the most were UVA, Washington, Clemson, Auburn, and LSU. Kentucky came later, but I had already scheduled my visits and wanted to focus on those.”
You visited Virginia on May 5th and announced your commitment to the ‘Hoos on May 6th; I assume the visit went well then?
“Virginia was my favorite option, even going into my visits. Honestly, when Coach (Ron) Sanchez called me the first time, I felt he was very genuine. For me, I needed to see it; I needed to go there and see it myself. The visit to Charlottesville was amazing and I was ready to commit on the visit.
Did they take you around Charlottesville on your visit, or did they keep you on campus/grounds?
“Yeah, Coach Bennett and I went to First Watch for breakfast. Everyone was looking at him, and I was like…this guy is the man around here, that was cool to me.
We also went around to the facilities and saw where I would live and all that. JPJ was the most impressive thing I saw on my visit. I loved how the basketball court is always down and I can shoot whenever possible. The practice facilities are also insane, from the weight room, the recovery room and more, it is all top of the line.”
Who is Elijah Saunders off the court? What do you like to do away from basketball?
“I like to listen to music and watch basketball. Right now, I am really into the NBA playoffs. Anthony Edwards is must-see TV for me. Jason Tatum and Devin Booker are other players I love to watch.
Going to the beach in San Diego is also something I love to do, which is something I will miss. But I love playing golf as well, and I heard there will be a lot of opportunities for me to play golf over there in Charlottesville.”
When you say this is me as a basketball player, what do you say?
“I would say I am a versatile stretch four. I feel like I can guard multiple positions and do many things on the court, even though at San Diego State, I didn’t show all of that all the time. I have a good face-up game, I have a good mid-range game, I can shoot the three.”
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – East Regional
Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Would you rather have a fast break dunk or have a block to force a shot clock violation?
“I actually had the opportunity to block a shot to force a shot clock violation at San Diego State, and that is a really good feeling. I would probably have to say forcing a shot clock violation just because of the excitement that comes with it.”
Would you rather hit a game-winner at home or on the road?
“Probably on the road. I had a teammate, Lamont Butler. Obviously, he hit the shot in the Final Four against FAU, but he also hit a shot at New Mexico to win the league my freshman year. The vibe in the building just went silent. It went from the loudest place I have ever heard to the quietest place as if nobody was there. It was awesome.”
Would you rather lock down the top scorer on the opposing team or score on the best defender on the opposing team?
“I would probably say lock down the top scorer on the opposing team, just because I feel like that’s a challenge that is hard to find in sports in general, getting to guard the other team’s best player. That feeling of holding to someone under their average or getting a big stop against them just shows what you can do. Anyone can score, but holding down their best player feels really good.”
Did anything come up during the visit or during your phone calls with the staff about offensive adjustments/changes for the coming year?
“Yeah, and I feel like the talk recently about Virginia’s offense isn’t necessarily a reflection of Virginia; I think it’s just do you have versatile and dynamic scorers? The recent additions and the team we have for next year is exactly that. We are going to have guys that can score the ball. We will do things they have done in the past when they won the national championship. They could score then, and we can score now.”
On your visit, did the coaches compare your game to a prior UVA basketball player or clarify your role on the team?
“I was shown a lot of film on De’Andre Hunter and Anthony Gill. Those are both guys who played the four who could space out, score, and get to the rim. After seeing what those guys can do and what the coaching staff did with them while they were at UVA, I am excited about my role at Virginia.”
Elijah heads to Charlottesville in June and will bring a lot of excitement and talent with him. His character, the way he carries himself, and his personality will be our favorite traits about him, along with the
added bonus of him being a great basketball player.
