PITTSBURGH - Duquesne University head men's basketball coach Jim Ferry has announced the signing of 6-8, 225-pound forward Nakye Sanders (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) to a National Letter of Intent.

Sanders, rated as a 3-star recruit by rivals.com and 247sports.com, averaged 19.0 points and 21.0 rebounds as a junior for Tottenville High School in Staten, Island, N.Y.

"We began the recruiting process very early with Nakye," said Ferry. "His recruitment was unique in that everybody we came in contact with at his high school - from the principal, to his guidance counselor, to the football coaches - had nothing but great things to say about his leadership skills and the quality of person he is. He is a wonderful kid from a great family.

"He also has a great foundation basketball-wise, having played for Chris Alesi in the New Heights AAU program well as for John Woodman at Tottenville. Signing players who receive outstanding coaching and who have played in winning programs is something that's really important to us.

"We're really excited about Nakye's versatility. He is a tenacious rebounder who is skilled both inside and out. He is also still very young and has a lot of room to grow both physically and as a basketball player. We look forward coaching him here at Duquesne."

Sanders, who turned 17 on November 1, earned first team New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA all-state honors in leading Tottenville (18-9, 12-2) to a Public Schools Athletic League Staten Island division co-championship and spot in the PSAL Class AA playoffs. It was just the second division title in school history. Sanders, who enters his senior season with over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, averaged 14.2 points and 15.1 rebounds as a sophomore. He began playing varsity as a 6-foot-4, barely 14-year-old freshman when he averaged 10.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

Sanders, who played AAU ball for highly-regarded New Heights, helped lead the 16U program to a No. 1 national ranking by both Fivestarbasketball.com and Indihoops.com this summer. New Heights, which compiled a 39-3 record, won five championships including the prestigious Under Armour Finals in Suwanee, Ga. in July.

The New York native had over 20 scholarship offers, including St. John's, Seton Hall, Temple, La Salle and Old Dominion prior to committing to Duquesne.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL 2014-15 RECRUITING CLASS

NAME        POS  HT  WT  CL  PPG RPG HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOLNakye Sanders   F   6-8 225 Fr. 19.0    21.0    Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville