Richie Saunders (basketball)
 Saunders with BYU in 2024 | |
| No. 5 – Memphis Grizzlies | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 19, 2001 Riverton, Utah, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) |
| College | BYU (2022–2026) |
| NBA draft | 2026: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Playing career | 2026–present |
| Career history | |
| 2026–present | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Richard Warner Saunders (born September 19, 2001) is an American basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the BYU Cougars.
Early life
Richard Warner Saunders was born on September 19, 2001, in Riverton, Utah, to Lisa and Rich Saunders.[1] He has four older sisters and is a great-grandson of F. Nephi Grigg, a founder of Ore-Ida and inventor of the Tater Tot.[2] Saunders attended Wasatch Academy.[1] Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star recruit and was the 3rd ranked prospect from Utah in the class of 2020. He committed to play college basketball for the BYU Cougars over offers from Creighton, Utah State, Oregon State, and Utah.[3]
College career
As a freshman in 2022–23, Saunders appeared in 34 games with two starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.[4] In 2023–24, he appeared in 34 games with one start and averaged 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.[5][6] Saunders entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal after the season, but ultimately chose to return to play for BYU.[7] Heading into his junior year, he become a full-time starter for the first time in his career.[8] On December 31, 2024, Saunders posted a career-high 30 points in a victory over Arizona State.[9] On January 11, 2025, he tallied 26 points in a loss to TCU.[10] On February 22, Saunders scored 25 points including the pair of game-winning free throws versus Arizona.[11] For his performance during the 2024–25 season, he was named the Big 12 Most Improved Player while also being named first-team all-Big 12.[12] On February 15, 2026, Saunders suffered a season-ending ACL injury, essentially ending his collegiate career after playing 25 games in the 2025–26 season.[13]
Professional career
On June 24, 2026, Saunders was selected with the 32nd overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2026 NBA draft.[14]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | BYU | 34 | 2 | 15.9 | .453 | .333 | .684 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 5.5 |
| 2023–24 | BYU | 34 | 1 | 20.7 | .523 | .364 | .712 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 9.6 |
| 2024–25 | BYU | 35 | 35 | 29.5 | .518 | .432 | .835 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 16.5 |
| 2025–26 | BYU | 25 | 25 | 31.4 | .489 | .376 | .817 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 18.0 |
| Career | 128 | 63 | 23.9 | .502 | .387 | .788 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 12.1 | |
Personal life
Saunders is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[1] He served a mission for the church in Seattle, Washington; he was originally called to serve in Madagascar, but was reassigned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
On September 1, 2023, Saunders married former basketball player Sierra Johnson, who also competed for the BYU Cougars.[15]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Richie Saunders – Men's Basketball 2025-2026". BYU Cougars. Archived from the original on March 17, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026 – via Brigham Young University.
- ↑ Reynolds, Kevin (March 20, 2025). "A BYU basketball player became the face of Tater Tots in March Madness. Here's why". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ↑ Harper, Mitch; Ireland, Kyle. "Wasatch Academy's Richie Saunders Commits To BYU Basketball". KSL Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Drew, Jay. "Richie Saunders is the Renaissance man on BYU's nationally ranked basketball team". Deseret News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Weber, Alex. "BYU guard Richie Saunders enters NCAA transfer portal". On3.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Harper, Mitch. "BYU's Richie Saunders Announces He Will Enter NCAA Transfer Portal". KSL Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Payne, Jackson. "Why Richie Saunders should be a First Team All-Big 12 selection". Deseret News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Payne, Jackson. "BYU's Egor Demin, Richie Saunders both set to return from injury for the start of Big 12 play". Deseret News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Harmon, Dick. "Veteran Saunders wrecks ASU with career high in BYU's Big 12 opener". Deseret News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Harper, Mitch. "Kevin Young On BYU's Richie Saunders: 'As Talented As Any Wing In The Country'". KSL Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ McCann, Dave. "The 'S' in Saunders is for Superman". Deseret News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ↑ Harper, Mitch. "BYU's Richie Saunders, Egor Demin Earn Big 12 Basketball Awards". KSL Sports. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff. "BYU star Richie Saunders suffers season-ending torn ACL". ESPN. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Richie Saunders chosen No. 32 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA draft". Yahoo Sports. June 24, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Drew, Jay (January 24, 2024). "BYU basketball: This sophomore has been a big reason why the No. 21 Cougars have emerged as a big surprise midway through the 2023-24 season". Deseret News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2026.