Levell Sanders

Levell Leonard Sanders (born December 9, 1975) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player.

Levell Sanders

Personal information
Born	December 9, 1975 Brooklyn, New York
Nationality	American
Listed height	189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight	94 kg (207 lb)
Career information
High school	Jamaica (Queens, New York)
College	Seton Hall (1994–1998)
NBA draft	1998 / Undrafted
Playing career	1999–2014
Position	Point guard
Number	20
Coaching career	2014–present
Career history
As player:
1998–2001	Mlékárna Kunín
2000	Ubizen Echo Hasselt
2000–2001	Unia Tarnow
2002–2003	Ústí nad Labem
2003–2007	Děčín
2007–2009	Pardubice
2009–2010	Nový Jičín
2010–2013	Děčín
2013–2014	Pardubice
As coach:
2014–2016	Pardubice (assistant)
2016–2019	Pardubice
2017	Czech Republic U18
2019–	Binghamton University (assistant)

Sanders played college basketball for Seton Hall University for four seasons. Next, he played fifteen seasons as a professional player in the Czech Republic, playing for several teams.

Playing career

A Brooklyn, New York, native, Sanders attended Jamaica High School in Queens, New York, before attending Seton Hall University from 1994 to 1998. After 113 career games played, he posted career game averages of 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals.[1] He earned Second team All-BIG East honors as a senior.[2]

Following graduation, he got his first experience as a professional basketball player in the USBL, playing for the New Hampshire Thunder Loons. "I played one game in the USBL and that was in May after my senior season. I left for Europe in August", he said in an interview in April 2009.[3]

Sanders, a 6’3’’ guard, moved to the Czech Republic where he would spend most of his playing career. From 1998 to 2000, he was a member of the Mlekarna Kunin club. In the 2000-01 campaign, he had stints with Ubizen Echo Hasselt of Belgium and Unia Tarnow of Poland. Afterwards, he went back to the Czech Republic. In 2002-03, he played for BK SCP Usti nad Labem, followed by a four-year stint at BK Decin. From 2007 to 2009, Sanders wore BK Pardubice colors and played for Mlekarna Miltra Novy Jicin in 2009-10. He returned to BK Decin, where he spent another three years, before rounding out his playing career with BK Pardubice in the 2013-14 season.[4]

Sanders earned numerous honors in his playing days, including Eurobasket.com All-Czech Republic League Guard of the Year in 2007 as well as Eurobasket.com All-Czech Republic League First Team recognition in both 2006 and 2007.[4]

Coaching career

Sanders began his coaching career as an assistant at BK Pardubice in 2014. In 2016, he was promoted to the head coaching job at the club. He was named Eurobasket.com All-Czech Republic League Coach of the Year in 2017. Sanders was a member of the Czech Republic U18 National Team coaching staff at the 2017 European Championships (Division B) in Estonia.

Sanders is the author of the book "A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas".[5]

In June 2019, he was named Assistant Coach of the Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team.[6]

Personal life

He met his wife Pamela in the Czech Republic, in an interview in April 2018, he called the country "a place I call my second home".[7]

Reference

1. "Levell Sanders College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
2. "Pirates in the Pros: MBB Alumni Update| SHUPirates.com". Seton Hall Athletics | SHUPirates.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
3. "EUROBASKET NEWS". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
4. "Coach Profile". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
5. Sanders, Levell (2011-11-16). A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781465389213.
6. "Levell Sanders - Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory". Binghamton University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
7. "Interview with coach Levell Sanders - TalkBasket.net". www.talkbasket.net. Retrieved 2018-05-24.