How 6-foot-8 Kobe Sanders’ unique skill set on and off the floor can help Cal Poly

The first time head coach John Smith saw Kobe Sanders was during his sophomore year of high school. At the time, the guard from San Diego stood 6 feet tall and ran the point guard spot for his high school team.

A few years later when Smith arrived at Cal Poly, Sanders had sprouted 6 inches.

“When I got the job, he ended up being a 6-foot-6 guard, maybe 6-5, but I saw him in a tournament, and I thought that he was what I wanted in terms of length and athleticism,” Smith said. “His dad is probably 6-foot. Mama, she’s kind of tall, but not that tall. ... His family was just one of those things like some people were born to be basketball players or athletes.”

Now, three years later at Cal Poly, Sanders stands 6-foot-8, the same height as senior center Ali Koroma, yet he still plays the guard position for the Mustangs. What allows him to play in the backcourt stems from his roots playing the point growing up.

“My parents and my coaches have grown me to be a point guard because my older brother was playing guard,” Sanders said. “We were both undersized. And then once I hit high school, I started growing more and more.”

What Cal Poly coach likes about Kobe Sanders

While Sanders’ physical profile began to change, his feel for the game did not.

“The initial thing that popped off the chart was his IQ and his versatility and his length. And that’s something that I’m after here,” Smith said.

The jumbo-sized guard is second on the team in assists with 30 despite missing three games due to a concussion. His positional size allows him to see over the top of defenses and make passes not many players can.

Some of his best games this season have come when he’s played the one spot. When Sanders’ fellow backcourt mate Camren Pierce missed multiple games due to injury, Sanders shifted to the point. It was in the lead guard role where he scored a season-high 17 points and tallied three assists against Cal State Northridge. Two games later, he dropped 14 points in a loss to Cal State Bakersfield.

“His ability to put us in the right right positions offensively and defensively is the reason why we’re leaving him at the point guard. … I’ve always felt that it’s his most comfortable position,” Smith said.

To complement his floor vision, Sanders has flashed the ability to create his own shot with an array of turnaround jumpers and stepbacks that give him just enough separation over smaller defenders. The key for him is getting to his spots more often to put himself in position to take those looks and not get sped up.

Defense still a priority

But despite taking a bigger offensive role, Sanders has maintained his elite defensive play. The team has tasked Sanders with guarding the best perimeter players on opposing teams, which involves fighting through screens and staying engaged on the ball where he can disrupt ball handlers vision.

“His height allows him to be our biggest deterrent on the defensive side and his ability to slide his feet and his IQ helps,” Smith said.

After a loss early in the season to Mount St. Mary, the Mustangs were 0-3 against Division 1 opponents to start the year. It was then Sanders and Jamal Smith, the director of basketball operations and John Smith’s son, had a conversation about what the team needed out of Sanders.

“Me and (Kobe) were in in the back of the locker room just pouring into each other, just trying to get him to realize how good of a player he is and what it takes to win at this level and what it takes to win at the next level,” Jamal Smith said.

“That’s really what the conversation was about. We were tired of losing and tired of feeling the way we were feeling. After that conversation, we rattled off four wins in a row, and he started playing really well. Ever since then, you can just see that it’s clicked for him.”

Jamal Smith, a former overseas professional player, has worked closely with Sanders, particularly on his approach to the game.

“Me and (Kobe) joke about it a lot. Our approaches to basketball were two total opposites. ... When we first started working with each other, I had a more serious approach. He was more outgoing, just wanting to have fun playing basketball, and now he’s starting to see how good he can be,” Jamal Smith said. “His approach is starting to change and his mentality towards the game is starting to change. Just in terms of the way he works out, the way he comes into practice, the way he’s trying to lead the team is more serious.”

Guard takes a bigger role finishing games

In line with him stepping up as a leader and altering his approach, Sanders has taken a bigger role in closing games.

In the team’s matchups versus Cal State Bakersfield and UC Santa Barbara, he was the primary catalyst on offense down the stretch. Although both games ended in losses, Sanders closed the gap and showed a glimpse of what he could be if he was handed the keys.

“I always tell him that he needs to be more aggressive. He had a coming-out game at home against CSUN, and he had good flashes against Bakersfield, but we need him to stay consistent offensively and hunt for his shot a little bit more,” Jamal Smith said.

The Mustangs have searched for a player to turn to with the game in the balance, but also someone to guide the ship through the course of a game. Sanders’ blend of scoring prowess, playmaking and budding leadership makes him fitting for that role.

“He has the ability to be the the starting point guard. He has the ability to be a starting wing. But whatever our team needs, he’s willing to do,” Head Coach John Smith said. “His role on this team is what he wants it to be.”

Slow start to Big West play

After the best preseason of Smith’s tenure, the Mustangs have stumbled out of the gate to a 1-5 start in conference play and a 7-11 record overall. The Mustangs defeated Cal State Northridge in the opener but have dropped five consecutive games since.

Offense has continued to be the team’s weakness. In six games, the Mustangs have topped the 60-point mark twice: in their sole win against CSUN and in an overtime loss to UC Riverside.

In their most recent game against UC Riverside, the Mustangs led 64-60 with 90 seconds remaining. But the Highlanders, who currently stand as the No. 1 seed in the Big West, scored on three consecutive possessions to take the lead before Koroma sent it to overtime with two free throws.

The Mustangs were then outscored 17-12 in the extra period and lost.

Sanders has continued to be a bright spot despite the losses.

In the win over UC Riverside, he put up 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds still in the lead guard role.

With the team’s poor start to conference play, Sanders stepping up and putting it all together could be one of the things the Mustangs’ need to get back on track.