We’re almost there, almost back to the grind of another Notre Dame basketball season. Before you know it, there will be a foot of snow on the ground, temperatures will be below zero and another Atlantic Coast Conference game will be going up and down the court inside Purcell Pavilion.
To get you ready for those nights and get you ready for a Notre Dame season that starts in Rome on Nov. 1 against Villanova in the Eternal City Tip-off, we’ll take a numerical player-by-player look — from 0 to 51 with several stops in between — at the 2026-27 Notre Dame basketball team over the next 16 days (Monday, Oct. 12 thru Friday, Oct. 30).
Who are these guys? What did they do last year? Where do they fit in this one? And what does fourth-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry think of them? Your snapshot of the 2026-27 Irish starts here.
∎ (10) Jonathan Sanderson
Hometown (High School/previous school): Ann Arbor, Michigan/La Lumiere
Dimensions: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Projected position: Backup point guard
Class: Freshman
Notable number: Was ranked as high as No. 55 nationally (ESPN) coming out of nearby La Lumiere.
25-26 stats: Averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting .380 from 3 and .800 from the foul line.
26-27 outlook: Spell Braeden Smith at the starting point guard spot. Be a true point guard — facilitate, take care of the ball, lead, understand the game and be an additional extension of the head coach on the court.
Shrews on Sanderson: "He's a leader. He's got that about him. He's a gamer (and) brings it at every single moment. This dude is competing every single moment. He's a juice bringer. You're going to know when he checks into the game."
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Scouting Jonathan Sanderson ahead of 2026-27 Notre Dame basketball season