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Explosive athlete who is looking to build on a freshman season that saw him named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team ... underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left ankle on May 7 and was cleared to begin individual workouts in early October ... is one of three returning players (with Bill Clark and Aaron Jackson) who saw action in all 30 games last season.
As a Freshman (2007-08)
Played in all 30 games with 19 starts on his way to earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team ... averaged 6.5 points in 22.3 minutes per game ... led the team with 45 steals and was second with a 5.2 rebounds per game average ... was third on the team in blocks (39) and fourth in 3-pointers made (24-of-69, .348) ... his blocked shot total was the second-highest ever by a DU freshman (the record of 54 was set by Derrick Alston in 1990-91) ... was the fifth player in school history to be named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week at least three times in the same season (Nov. 18, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30) ... Tony Petrarca (1987), Tom Pipkins (1995) and Kevin Price (1995) each were named Rookie of the Week four times and Robert Mitchell was tabbed five times in 2006-07... had three or more steals in a game eight times, three or more blocks five times and three or more assists on seven occasions ... hit at least two 3-pointers in a game eight times ... scored in double-digits six times and led the team in rebounding seven times ... had 19 points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals and no turnovers in his first college game (vs. Howard on Nov. 9) ... did not commit a turnover until the third game of the season ... pulled down 13 rebounds in 20 minutes in DU's 92-77 win at Oakland and added 10 boards in 27 minutes at La Salle on Feb. 9 ... went 4-of-6 from the 3-point arc in scoring 14 points against Saint Joseph's ... added five assists, five rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes against the Hawks ... was second on the team with 20 dunks ... had three slams in a 3:15 span of the second half of a 101-84 win at La Salle.
Prep School
Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass. (head coach Bill Barton) ... averaged 8.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and close to three blocked shots per game for a Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) team that finished 32-3 and won the national prep school championship in 2006-07 under current DU assistant Bill Barton ... played alongside former Kansas State star and Miami Heat draftee Michael Beasley ... was ranked as the sixth-best post-graduate player in the nation by Scout.com ... was also rated as a "four star" recruit by Tom Konchalski of the HSBI Report.
High School
Crosby High School in Waterbury, Conn. (head coach Nick Augelli) ... was a member - along with DU freshman guard/forward B.J. Monteiro - of Crosby's 2005 Division I state championship team ... averaged 22.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 8.0 blocks in helping Crosby to 23 wins and a third-straight league title in 2006 ... named to the New Haven Register 2005-06 All State Team ... was named all-county three times.
Personal
Is the third-oldest of five children ... enrolled at Duquesne in late August and began classes on Sept. 4,2007 ... also received recruiting interest from Marquette, Providence, Tennessee and Cincinnati among others ... undeclared liberal arts major ... full name is Damian Stewart Saunders ... date of birth: 11/1/88.
Career Stats for Damian Saunders
YEAR G/GS MIN/AVG FG-AT PCT 3M-AT PCT FT-AT PCT O/D REB PF-DQ A TO BK S PTS-AVG 2008 30/19 669/22.3 78-162 .481 24-69 .348 16-38 .421 47/109 156-5.2 57-0 48 32 39 45 196-6.5High Games: Points - 19 vs. Howard (Fr.); Rebounds - 13 at Oakland (Fr.); Assists - 6 vs. Howard (Fr.); Blocked Shots - 4 at Rice & vs. Robert Morris (Fr.); Steals - 4 at Rice & vs. Saint Francis, Pa.; Minutes - 34 vs. Saint Joseph's (Fr.)
Saunders 2007-08 Game-by-Game (Freshman)
OPPONENT M Fg-At 3m-At Ft-At O-D-Reb PF A TO B S Pts HOWARD 20 8-11 3-5 0-1 2-2-4 0 6 0 1 2 19 WSSU *22 5-7 2-4 0-2 2-7-9 1 4 0 1 1 12 at Rice 19 3-6 0-0 4-4 5-3-8 2 1 2 4 4 10 at Oakland *20 4-8 0-4 1-2 5-8-13 0 2 1 1 3 9 NIAGARA 21 1-2 0-0 1-5 3-2-5 3 2 2 0 0 3 vs. Northridge *18 1-5 1-3 0-0 0-4-4 3 1 1 2 1 3 at Drake 19 2-4 0-1 2-2 2-4-6 3 0 3 3 1 6 PITTSBURGH 18 2-6 0-4 0-0 0-2-2 3 0 1 0 1 4 at W. Virginia *23 2-5 2-2 0-0 0-5-5 2 2 1 0 0 6 ST FRANCIS 17 5-7 2-4 0-0 1-4-5 0 3 0 2 4 12 ROBT MORRIS *29 4-7 0-2 0-1 2-5-7 0 1 4 4 2 8 USC UPSTATE 13 1-2 0-1 0-0 0-1-1 1 0 1 1 0 2 at Bowl. Green *23 4-6 1-1 0-0 2-2-4 0 4 1 1 3 9 FORDHAM *25 4-9 0-1 2-3 4-5-9 2 1 0 0 1 10 at Rhode Is. *22 3-4 2-2 0-1 3-2-5 2 0 1 1 2 8 at Fordham *28 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-2-2 3 1 1 0 0 1 ST. BONA. *17 2-6 0-2 0-0 1-3-4 3 1 1 0 3 4 GEO. WASH. 18 2-4 0-1 3-4 1-3-4 1 1 1 1 3 7 UMASS *25 2-7 2-3 0-3 4-1-5 1 1 0 0 0 6 at St. Bona. 20 1-1 1-1 1-2 0-4-4 2 0 0 0 1 4 ST. JOSEPH'S *34 5-9 4-6 0-1 0-5-5 2 5 2 1 3 14 at La Salle *27 4-9 0-3 0-2 2-8-10 2 3 1 1 1 8 at Dayton *30 4-10 0-4 0-0 1-3-4 1 0 0 1 1 8 RICHMOND *25 1-3 1-3 0-0 1-2-3 2 1 2 3 3 3 at Xavier 23 0-3 0-2 0-0 0-3-3 3 1 1 3 0 0 LA SALLE *28 2-6 1-3 0-1 2-5-7 0 1 2 2 1 5 at Charlotte 19 3-5 2-2 0-0 2-4-6 4 3 1 1 1 8 at Temple *27 1-5 0-2 1-2 1-3-4 4 1 1 1 2 3 SAINT LOUIS *26 1-3 0-2 0-0 0-4-4 4 1 1 2 1 2 vs. La Salle *13 1-2 0-1 0-0 1-3-4 3 1 0 2 0 2 * - indicates game started
