Fred Saunders
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6'7" 210 lbs Forward
HS: Mohawk Columbus, OH
Born: 6/13/1951 Columbus, OH
Season Stats
Season Cl Pos G GS FG FGA % FT FTA % Asst Reb Fls DQ Pts PPG APG RPG
1973-74 Sr F 16 14 73 159 45.9% 11 27 40.7% 56 156 62
6
 157 9.8 3.5 9.8
Career    
16
14
73
159
45.9%
11
27
40.7%
56
156
62
6
157
9.8
3.5
9.8

Fred Saunders was a fast moving NBA style player who played forward for Syracuse his senior season. He loved playing an upstyle tempo of game and could run the court with ease. Saunders originally attended the University of Southwest Louisiana for basketball, and played there for three years. However, the school was hit with NCAA violations, and Fred Saunders Syracuse BasketballSaunders sought to transfer. Saunders played 87 games at Southwest Louisiana, scoring 568 points (6.5 ppg) and 780 rebounds (9.0 rebounds per game).

After sitting out for the first semester, Saunders was eligible to play for Syracuse in January of 1974, and he proved to be a vital part of a team that made it to the NCAA tournament. He would average nearly ten rebounds a game along with nearly ten points. He was very foul proned at Syracuse, fouling out of six of the sixteen games he played in for the Orangemen.

U. of SW Louisiana Stats
Season Cl Pos G GS FG FGA % FT FTA % Asst Reb Fls DQ Pts PPG APG RPG
1970-71 Fr F 29 - 77 162 47.5% 36 67 53.7% - 225
85
-
 189 6.5 --- 7.8
1971-72 So F 29 - 68 159 42.8% 28 64 43.7% - 277
97
-
 164 5.6 --- 9.5
1972-73 Jr F 29 - 109 225 48.4% 21 34 61.8% 90 278
90
-
 215 7.4 --- 9.6
Career    
87
---
254
546
46.5%
85
165
51.5%
+90
780
275
-
568
6.5
---
9.0

Saunders was drafted in the 2nd round of the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He would play in the NBA for four seasons, in part with the Suns, the Boston Celtics, and finally the New Orleans Jazz.

NBA Career Statistics
Season Team Pos G Min FG FGA % FT FTA % Asst Reb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
1974-75
Phoenix
 F
69
1059
176
406
43.3%
66
95
69.5%
80
253
151
-
-
41
15
415
 6.1 1.2 3.7
1975-76
Phoenix
 F
17
146
28
64
43.8%
6
11
54.5%
13
37
23
-
-
5
1
62
 3.6 0.8 2.2
1976-77
Boston
 F
68
1051
184
395
46.6%
35
53
66.0%
85
223
191
-
-
26
7
191
 5.9 1.3 3.3
1977-78
Bos./New Orleans
 F
56
643
99
234
42.3%
26
36
72.2%
46
111
106
-
42
21
14
106
 4.0 0.8 2.0
Total   F
210
2,899
487
1,099
44.3%
133
195
68.2%
224
624
471
0
+42
93
37
1,107
5.3
1.1
3.0

He would later become a Physical Education instructor and basketball coach at Franklin Heights High School in Columbus, Ohio.

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