Cleveland senior guard Ish Sanders was ready for the hills. He was ready for the 6:30 a.m. runs. He just wanted an opportunity to play basketball at the collegiate level.
He got his wish Friday when he signed scholarship papers to continue his career at NCAA Division II Carson-Newman College.
“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Sanders said. “Coach (Dale) Clayton is cool and real nice. When I went on my visit, I met with the players and they accepted me well. I’m excited to get started — it’s like a new season.”
Sanders was named District 5-AAA Player of the Year twice and made the Times Free Press Best of Preps team in each of his four seasons with the Blue Raiders. He was the area player of the year as a senior. He finished his career with more than 2,200 points.
“I think that had to do with his work ethic,” Cleveland coach Jason McCowan said. “He increased his scoring output in each season he was here, and that’s hard to do each night when defenses are set to shut you down. He was able to overcome that.”
Sanders’ future home in Jefferson City, Tenn., will provide ample opportunities for playing time right away, as the Eagles lose two senior guards from a team that finished 11-18. They upset second-seeded Tusculum before falling to 73-72 to Brevard in the South Atlantic Conference semifinals. After adding some weight to his slight frame, Sanders should get even more chances to play.
“It’s a new level, and Coach Clayton told me that I’ll have to change my mindset but keep my work ethic the same,” Sanders said. “I worked hard all through my high school career and don’t plan on changing anything.”
The chance to play right away was an obvious draw for Sanders, but he wants to help the team.
“I just want to mix well,” he said. “I don’t want the team to miss a beat, and hope I can make them better than last year.
“I hope the expectations are high for me. I want them to expect me to help take them further. I just want to mesh with the team.”