Josiah Sanders attributes arrival in Boulder to prestige despite his local roots

Josiah Sanders joins five other new guards in Boulder in 2025. (Photo by Jacob Hock/Sko Buffs Sports)

Freshman guard Josiah Sanders is just 30 minutes from where he played high school basketball, now chasing his college dreams. However, despite his local roots, Josiah’s decision to play at CU came from its established culture.

Sanders was listed as a four-star recruit (247Sports) out of Colorado Prep in Denver, Colorado, this past offseason. This made him the No. 17 combo guard, No. 132 overall player and No. 1 player from Colorado in the class of 2025. 

“He plays with an attacking mentality and creates all types of mismatch problems for opposing guards who can't contend with his size and strength,” 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote. “Sanders can both get downhill to put pressure on the rim, and also has a terrific change of pace off the dribble with the body control to maintain his balance through contact.”

The high praise he received garnered him plenty of national attention. He had offers from power programs including Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri and Arizona State, among others. 

However, when he arrived on the campus of CU Boulder for his visit on Aug. 29th, 2024, something was clearly different. 

“The vibe that I got from the coaches and the players,” Sanders said. “They had a really good culture, so for me, I wanted to go to college at a place that I have opportunity and the coaches trust me. I really felt that here.”

Proximity to home is another key factor in the recruiting process for many high school prospects. But even with CU being just a stone’s throw from his high school, Sanders cited proximity as a non-factor in his recruiting process.

“I kind of took that off my criteria when I was choosing schools,” Sanders said. “The main thing was the relationships and the opportunity…the longevity and consistent pursuit of this coaching staff was definitely jumping out.”

With the plethora of options Sanders had at his disposal when choosing a school, it’s high praise to Colorado’s program that he decided to come to Boulder. 

This praise stems from proven results, as CU has established quite a reputation for its guard development in recent years. Josiah models his game after former Buffs guards who have since gone on to NBA success.

“Ever since Alec Burks came back, I’ve been watching his highlights,” Sanders continued. “...Seeing how he could score the ball, that was really good. Even watching KJ Simpson, I’m bigger than him, but just watching how he plays like a dog, I try to model my game after that.”

As the Buffaloes search for an answer in a new-look guard room, Sanders continues to make a case for this coaching staff to look his way. 

A matchup nightmare like him is something this team missed dearly in the 2024 season. His arrival is one of many this season that has Colorado optimistic for a turnaround after a rebuilding season.