Making The Right Move
12/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
This feature article appeared in the first edition of Flames Illustrated for the 2009-10 basketball season. Sanders has started all 10 games for the Flames, averaging 6.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
At the end of the 2008-09 season, Flames point guard Jesse Sanders found himself in a somewhat uncomfortable situation. With the gamut of offseason changes surrounding the men's basketball program taking the team captain by surprise, he debated what his next move should be – weather
the storm or look for a new pasture.
"I had to step back for a minute," Sanders said. "I had to get alone, pray, talk to my dad and really look at Liberty for what Liberty is."
Although the return of Dale Layer to Flames basketball presented a familiar face to some of the veteran players, the new head coach was a virtual unknown to Sanders. Forced to start from scratch, he quickly began developing a trust with Liberty's new leader.
"It was kind of like a two-year recruiting process crammed into a week," Sanders recalled. "Coming out of that, I just felt contentment about staying here. Looking back on it, I'm so thankful I did."
Much like the 2008-09 campaign, Sanders is one of the spirited leaders on a team tied for fourth among the nation's youngest squads this season with 11 underclassmen. Last season, the Flames' youthfulness forced the Sugar Land, Texas native to grow up in a hurry, as he was named starting point guard and team captain in his first year at Liberty.
Operating as the Flames' floor general, Sanders helped lead the team to a 23-12 record, picking up marquee wins against Virginia and George Mason. As Liberty marched closer to postseason play, an unprecedented event occurred in the point guard's playing career. During a rebounding drill in practice, Sanders went down with an ankle sprain, forcing him to miss late February match-ups against Old Dominion, VMI and Radford.
"That was really tough for me," Sanders said. "It was the first time in my entire basketball career that I had missed a game due to an injury. It really makes you appreciate being healthy and using the gifts God gives us."
"Sitting there on the sidelines was probably the toughest part of it," he added. "I still tried to be vocal and be a leader, but it's just different when you're sidelined. You can't get out there and get it done yourself."
At the 2009 Big South Tournament, Sanders saw limited action against his older brother Thomas' alma mater Gardner-Webb in the opening round. Liberty prevailed against the Runnin' Bulldogs, setting up the third meeting of the season against VMI. Sanders started the contest, only to reinjure his ankle nine minutes into the game. The Keydets went on to advance to the conference finals.
Looking back at the late-season setback, Sanders says the increased minutes his teammates received due to his absence outweigh the 181 he missed. With Sanders sidelined, Kyle Ohman assumed full responsibility as the team's on-court leader. Guard James Spencer, a key role player last season, also stepped in for his fallen teammate, giving the Flames quality minutes at point guard.
"Whenever you lose somebody, other guys step up," Sanders said. "I think in that aspect, it really helped our team for this upcoming year."
Now back at 100 percent health with one year of experience under his belt, the sophomore guard is looking forward to a challenging slate of games in November, featuring the likes of No. 24 Clemson and Old Dominion in the Vines Center as well as BIG EAST member Notre Dame on the road.
After practicing for four weeks this past preseason under Layer's guidance, Sanders says he is continuing to build a solid player-coach relationship with his new mentor. When Layer first made his return to Liberty, the point guard viewed him as a complete stranger. Now, Sanders is finding out he and his coach have a lot in common.
"He's going to push 110 percent out of everybody and I really appreciate that," Sanders commented. "I'm a person who likes to work hard and get good effort out of the time we put in, and he's completely sold out on hard work and toughness. I just really like him as a person and as a coach."
For Layer, the feeling is mutual. When describing the floor leader's character on and off the court, he referred to Sanders as the heartbeat of Liberty men's basketball.
"He's a tremendous worker," Layer noted. "His character is one that everyone rallies around. We respond to who he is as much as what he can do on the floor."
Given all the obstacles Sanders overcame in the early part of 2009, from late-season injuries to offseason personnel changes, the point guard is now back at the level of comfort he experienced in the first half of his freshman year. Although this season may present a new set of hurdles, the sophomore appears determined to leap over them with a greater amount of ease. For if the words of the late Dr. King are true and a man is indeed measured by how he stands in challenging times, Sanders has already grown a few more inches.
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Eric Brown is an assistant athletic communications director for Liberty University, who covers men's basketball.
