Levell Leonard Sanders (born December 14, 1975) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach for the Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team.[1]

Levell Sanders
Binghamton Bearcats
PositionHead coach
LeagueAmerica East Conference
Personal information
Born (1975-12-14) December 14, 1975 (age 49)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Listed height189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight94 kg (207 lb)
Career information
High schoolJamaica (Queens, New York)
CollegeSeton Hall (1994–1998)
NBA draft1998: undrafted
Playing career1999–2014
PositionPoint guard
Number20
Coaching career2014–present
Career history
As player:
1998–2001Mlékárna Kunín
2000Ubizen Echo Hasselt
2000–2001Unia Tarnow
2002–2003Ústí nad Labem
2003–2007Děčín
2007–2009Pardubice
2009–2010Nový Jičín
2010–2013Děčín
2013–2014Pardubice
As coach:
2014–2016Pardubice (assistant)
2016–2019Pardubice
2017Czech Republic U18
2019–2021Binghamton (assistant)
2021–presentBinghamton
Career highlights and awards

Playing career

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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.[2] He earned Second team All-BIG East honors as a senior.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[5]

Coaching career

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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.

In June 2019, he was named an assistant coach at Binghamton.[6] On March 1, 2021 Sanders was named as the Interim Head Coach at Binghamton for the 2021–22 season, replacing Tommy Dempsey.[7] After leading the Bearcats to the most league wins since 2010, Sanders was named the permanent head coach at Binghamton, effective in February 2022.[8]

Head coaching record

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College

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Binghamton Bearcats (America East) (2021–present)
2021–22 Binghamton 12–17 8–10 7th
2022–23 Binghamton 13–18 8–8 T–4th
2023–24 Binghamton 15–15 7–9 T–4th
2024–25 Binghamton 7–6 0–0
Binghamton: 47–56 (.456) 23–27 (.460)
Total: 47–56 (.456)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal life

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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".[9] Sanders is the author of the book "A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas".[10]

References

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  1. ^ "BU makes men's basketball coaching change". Binghamton University Athletics.
  2. ^ "Levell Sanders College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  3. ^ "Pirates in the Pros: MBB Alumni Update| SHUPirates.com". Seton Hall Athletics | SHUPirates.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  4. ^ "EUROBASKET NEWS". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  5. ^ a b "Coach Profile". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  6. ^ "Levell Sanders - Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory". Binghamton University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  7. ^ "Bearcats Officially Part Ways with Dempsey After 9 Seasons". www.wicz.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  8. ^ "Sanders named permanent men's basketball coach". Binghamton University Athletics. 2022-02-17.
  9. ^ "Interview with coach Levell Sanders - TalkBasket.net". www.talkbasket.net. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  10. ^ Sanders, Levell (2011-11-16). A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781465389213.