St. John’s Player Profile: Orlando Sanchez
By Joe Nardone
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Name: Orlando Sanchez
Eligibility: Senior
Position: Forward
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 214-pounds
Twitter Handle: @Orlandito0933
2012 Season Stats: Did not play last season.
Prognostication: Orlando Sanchez took a very long road to get here. Thanks to some (iffy) NCAA rules, Sanchez is going to be a 76-year-old senior. I mean, that is a rough estimate but I think it might be fairly accurate.
Okay, okay. He is not that old. For real, though, having Sanchez available to the team is a huge get for St. John’s. Not only is he mature, experienced and talented, but he might be a huge player in the Red Storm rotation — as he shined during the Johnnies’ Euro tour and regularly started.
Regardless, Sanchez might end up being a top-3 or 4 player for the Red Storm this season.
Strengths: Sanchez can do a little bit of everything. He can defend, get to the rack, rebound, pass and possibly receive social security benefits.
Another aspect of his game is his ability to shoot. Not a long-distance specialist by any means, but his mid-range game is solid. Couple that with his athleticism as well as his ability to play multiple positions and Sanchez is going to be a match-up nightmare for opponents.
Weaknesses: Orlando Sanchez has to adjust to playing with his teammates right now. He has no eligibility left after this season. That is really about it, though. Granted, he doesn’t excel on an elite level with any of his talents, but there is definitely no glaring weaknesses.
Personal Note: A lot of people are already talking about Orlando’s NBA Draft prospects. Here is the thing, if he was good enough to be in the NBA he would already be there. Seriously, not trying to play his talents down, but Sanchez is a grown man at this point — being eligible to play for the Red Storm is a great get for the program, but doesn’t make him more draftable.
Random, but neat Orlando Sanchez Factoid: Member of the Dominican Republic national team.
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Joseph is the editor of Storm The Paint. Follow him on the mean streets of Twitter @JosephNardone