At 6-foot-8 Kobe Sanders is a swingman with guard skills and a defensive edge, as he turned heads all year at Nevada. Sanders solidified his stock at the 2025 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where his feel, size, and maturity stood out leading to an invitation to attend the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. Sanders grinded his way through Cal Poly, evolving from a role player into the team’s engine by his senior year. The move to Nevada gave him the stage and system to scale up as he thrived in a hybrid role
Sanders isn’t just a former mid-major hidden gem climbing draft boards, he’s the latest chapter in North Dakota State’s storied Driscoll athletic lineage. His mother, Sara Sanders (née Driscoll), was a high school hooper, and her brothers, Pat and Mike, are NDSU Hall of Famers. Tom also played basketball and tennis at NDSU, while Jim excelled in football and later became a college head coach. The next generation kept it going. Mike’s son Jake played at Minnesota State Moorhead (MSUM), and Jim’s son Jordan became the first freshman starter at MSUM in 20 years, lighting it up from deep. Their cousin, Amber Abraham, daughter of Kobe’s aunt Kathy, scored over 900 points at MSUM, set multiple three-point records, and later transferred to D1 Arkansas State before injuries cut her run short.
Several teams have already gotten a closer look per HoopsHype’s Draft Workout Tracker. Sanders has worked out with the Celtics, Clippers, Hornets, Magic, Pistons, Raptors, Spurs, Thunder and Warriors.Those organizations holding picks squarely in his projected range (picks No. 24 to No. 45), and each presents an intriguing landing spot. Among that group, Phoenix at No. 29, Boston at No. 28, and Golden State at No. 41 stand out as natural fits. With a high floor as a rotational wing and the tools to do more, Sanders trending up as a name to watch late in the first round.
In a sit-down with HoopsHype, Sanders opened up about battling through the lows at Cal Poly, embracing the reset in Reno, how his game evolved under a brighter spotlight and more.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
KS: I started high school at about 5-8. Me and my brother always trained to be guards, watching little guards like Allen Iverson and Marcus Paige. My dad had us studying film, teaching us to think the game like point guards. Then every year, I hit a growth spurt, by senior year I was 6-6, and now I’m 6-8. But even as I grew, I never lost that mindset. It was a blessing.
Jim Krajewski/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: Definitely. Every year my role changed. As a freshman, I was trying to play defense and hit shots. Sophomore year, I became more of a defensive guy. Junior year is when I really took the helm, I ran the offense, was the leader, facilitator, point guard. My senior year, I did everything, I was the main scorer, facilitator, playmaker. As you develop, coaches ask for different things, and I adjusted. I was blessed to have a coach who believed in me, Coach John Smith, and we spent a lot of time talking and watching film. That helped me develop and play at a high level. Then I was blessed to go to Nevada, where I ran point most of the year until late-season injuries changed things.
David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
KS: It definitely helped me grow. Playing at that level challenged me in new ways, and it made me tap into my versatility. I played all over, sometimes I was at the one, sometimes the four, depending on what the team needed. That flexibility came from how I was raised. My dad always told me, “If you want to be a real point guard, you need to know every position, know what each guy is thinking and where they need to be.” That shaped how I view the game. So learning different positions didn’t just help me adjust, it made everything easier. My IQ kept evolving.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
KS: It was a smooth transition because I’d already done that kind of shifting earlier in my career. But the big thing was defense. I knew early on that to get on the floor, I had to defend. My sophomore year, me and a teammate would challenge ourselves to pick up full court every time we checked in. I was guarding guys 94 feet, smaller guards, just trying to make my mark. That effort stuck with me. I took every matchup personally. That became my identity, defense, energy, and effort.
League Him/X (Twitter)
KS: Just being invited meant a lot, not everybody gets that opportunity. I talked to my agent and people around me, and they all said, “Go be you.” That stuck. You see a lot of guys try to go to Portsmouth and do too much, try to prove they’re something they’re not. But I didn’t want to fall into that. I just stayed true to my game, competed, played with energy on both ends, and let my heart show. I think people saw that I belonged. It wasn’t about putting up wild numbers, it was about showing I can impact the game in every way without forcing it.
Jason Bean/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: That’s the reality of pro basketball, you don’t always get to pick your role, so I’ve been preparing for anything. My journey hasn’t been easy. I went through some real lows at Cal Poly, and those moments taught me how to grind. I’ve had to fight through losing streaks, tough practices, tough stretches mentally, but that built me up. I’ve got maturity now. I understand that whether it’s 10 minutes at the four, 30 minutes in the G League, or five minutes as a backup guard, I’ve got to stay ready. My IQ and my versatility let me adapt. That’s what teams are looking for, someone who can plug into multiple spots and raise the group.
Jason Bean/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: It’s been a huge focus. In past years, I’d either start the season shooting it well or finish hot, but never really sustain it across a full year. That consistency is what I’ve locked in on. I’ve worked on my mechanics, balance, and rhythm, just tightening every part of my shot. I want to be someone who can space the floor confidently and knock it down at a high level. I’ve put in the reps to make that part of my game second nature.
Jason Bean/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: Shooting, for sure. People glance at a stat sheet and think they know your shot, but it doesn’t always show the whole picture. In workouts, I’ve been able to really show teams the way I shoot, the footwork, the release, the ability to hit off movement. A lot of teams walked away saying, “We didn’t know he could shoot like that.” I think I’ve opened some eyes with that.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
KS: Growth, in every sense. Being around a winning culture again helped reset me. Coach Steve Alford runs tough practices, high-level, structured, detailed. Coach Noodles is the same way. You’ve got to show up locked in every day, no excuses. I learned how to be consistent, how to be a leader, and how to raise the standard for myself and my teammates. It wasn’t just about basketball, it was about being dependable every single day. That changed my approach to everything.
David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
KS: It means everything. Cal Poly’s never had a player drafted, so just having that opportunity is a blessing. I want to be that guy who breaks that barrier, not just for myself, but to show that you can come from a small program, stay the course, and still reach the league. On top of that, being from San Diego, which doesn’t get the same recognition as LA or the Bay, adds another layer. We’ve got hoopers in the city, but we don’t always get the spotlight. So I’m carrying three names: Cal Poly, Nevada, and San Diego. I want to represent all three the right way and open the door for the next kid who’s being overlooked.
JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: It gave me hunger. San Diego doesn’t always get love because we’re right under LA, and the city kind of gets slept on. But we’ve got talent, real hoopers. Being from there made me play with a chip on my shoulder. I knew I had to work twice as hard just to get noticed. And even now, I carry that with me, that pride, that edge. I play for my city every time I step on the floor. I want to be a voice for all those kids who haven’t been seen yet.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
KS: Definitely Norman Powell. He was that guy. I remember watching him play at Lincoln High, then seeing him go to UCLA, and eventually thrive in the league. He made it feel real for all of us in San Diego, like the NBA wasn’t just a dream, but something you could actually reach. He came from the same streets, same gyms, same city, and that meant something. Norm was the blueprint. He showed us what it looked like to carry yourself like a pro, on and off the floor. He holds weight in our city, for sure.
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
KS: Yeah, for sure. I played with Gamepoint, Brandon Angel was one of the guys on my team there. Earlier on, when I was younger, I played for San Diego Select. That team had a lot of dudes who went on to play at a high level, like Chibuzo Agbo and Ziaire Williams. We had serious talent. Those games were intense, and they forced me to raise my level. It was competitive every day. That early AAU experience helped shape my mentality, how to prepare, how to compete, and how to play against top guys.
RGJ/Andy Barron / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: I picked Cal Poly originally to stay closer to home. I’ve always been real close with my family, that bond is everything to me. But after going through what I did at Cal Poly, Nevada felt like the right reset. It was still on the West Coast, but just far enough that it was a new environment. It wasn’t easy being away from home, but my “why” was my family, my faith, was always just a phone call away. They kept me grounded. That shift gave me space to grow and focus, and being in a new culture like Nevada’s, where winning mattered, was exactly what I needed.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
KS: I study a lot of Jalen Williams from OKC. He plays the game the right way, he’s smooth, controlled, plays both ends, and doesn’t force anything. He creates space, scores within the flow, and guards at a high level. That’s someone I try to emulate. I also watch the whole Thunder squad, their system, how they move the ball, how unselfish they are. That’s the type of environment I want to be in, where IQ and trust matter.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
KS: I take pieces from a lot of guys. CJ McCollum, his ability to use angles, how he changes speeds, how smart he is as a scorer. Jalen Brunson, his footwork in the mid-range is elite, and he’s always calm under pressure. Defensively, I watch how bigger guards use their length and anticipation to impact plays. I’m always watching, trying to find the little things, details most people miss and figure out how to add them to my own game.
JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: I’ve been locked in all offseason. I’m in the weight room working on strength and explosiveness, doing plyometrics to stay light and mobile. On the court, I’m practicing being both the handler and the screener in actions, pick-and-roll, DHO, off-ball movement. Defensively, I’m guarding 1 through 4, learning different reads, and working on switches and closeouts. I want to be that guy a coach can throw anywhere on the floor, and I’ll know the role, execute it, and do it with energy. That’s what keeps you on the court.
David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
KS: No doubt, my time at Cal Poly. Losing 39 straight conference games, that does something to you mentally. You start to question everything, your game, your future, your confidence. But I leaned into my work, my faith, and the people around me. I reminded myself, “I built this confidence. Nobody gave it to me, and nobody can take it away.” That stretch could’ve broken me, but I didn’t let it. I’m proud of how I came through that, it made me tougher, more focused, and hungrier than ever.
JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: Absolutely. At Cal Poly, you started to feel that losing became normal for some guys, and that’s dangerous. It kills your energy, your fire. At Nevada, that culture flipped. Every day, we were expected to compete and win, whether it was a game, a drill, or film. That competitive standard gave me life again. I matched that energy and brought my own fire. Whether we were up or down, my effort never changed. That environment helped me rediscover myself and reminded me of what I love about the game.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
KS: Staying sharp in every area. Staying in shape physically, but also keeping my mind clear. Teams want to see if I can guard multiple positions, if I can hit shots, and if I can make the right reads in game-speed situations. But beyond that, they want to see how I carry myself. Can I be a communicator? Can I make winning plays? Can I elevate a team? I’ve just focused on being myself and letting my IQ and versatility speak. I’m ready for any opportunity they throw at me.
JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
KS: That I gave it everything I had, every practice, every game, every film session. That I loved the game and showed it through how I played and how I treated people. I want to be remembered as a guy who brought energy, who cared, and who made people around him better. Not just someone who scored or made plays, but someone who left a positive impact on every team, every locker room. If I can finish my career with no regrets and relationships I built through the game, I’ll be proud.
