In just two years in a Flyer uniform, Vee Sanford made a lasting impression. The Georgetown transfer cemented himself in Flyer lore as he sunk the game-winning shot to defeat Ohio State in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Sanford received the ball with 10.8 seconds to go near halfcourt and drove to the right with two-time Big 10 defensive player of the year, Aaron Craft, guarding him. He drove past Craft and took a running shot from about eight feet out. The shot dropped in with 3.8 seconds remaining as the Flyers defeated the Buckeyes 60-59. That shot propelled the Flyers to the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1984.
Whether he was starting or coming off the bench, Sanford was always ready to contribute for UD. Sanford was known for his ability to drive the ball to the basket and make tough shots. Because of his driving ability, Sanford often found the ball in his hands at the very end of the game.
Sanford scored 735 points in his two season stint with the Flyers for an average of 10.8 points per game. He shot 44.7% (269-for-602) from the field and 75.5% (136-for-180) from the foul line. He was a co-captain his senior year at UD.
2013-14Sanford was the top player off the bench for the Flyers during his senior season. Sanford played in all 37 games averaging 9.6 points while shooting 44.8% from the field (134-of-299). He was fourth on the team in scoring, third in steals (27) and tied for third in assists (66).
Sanford was a co-captain his senior season and received the Dr. George Rau Spirit Award, which is given annually to the player who displays true team spirit, on and off the court. After starting all 31 games a year ago, he has come off the bench this past season and is one of the top "Sixth Men" in the Atlantic 10.
Sanford scored in double figures 19 times. In games that Sanford had at least 10 points, the Flyers had a record of 17-2. UD was just 9-9 when Sanford failed to score in double figures.
Sanford scored 14 points and hauled in four rebounds against St. Francis NY and tallied 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting at Georgia Tech. He netted 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting against Cal in the Maui Invitational.
Sanford scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting vs. Iona and dished out four assists. He scored 16 points on 5-8 shooting at Fordham and also had 16 points at George Mason. Sanford tallied 15 points against both St. Bonaventure and UMass.
He tied a career-high with 23 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting against Fordham in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Sanford tallied 10 points against Ohio State in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, including the game-winning shot to beat the Buckeyes.
2012-13
Vee Sanford was inserted into the starting line-up for all 31 of the Flyers’ games during the 2012-13 season after transferring from Georgetown. Sanford was the Flyers’ second leading scorer at 12.3 points per game. He ranked 23rd in the Atlantic 10 in scoring and 11th in the conference in free throw percentage as he connected at a .821 clip. Sanford also ranked second on the team in minutes played (29.1 mpg) and assists (2.3 apg). Overall, Sanford played 903 minutes, scored 381 points and dished out 70 assists during the 2012-13 season.
Vee Sanford was named the team’s recipient of the Uhl Family Endowed Scholarship. It is given annually to the UD player who best exemplifies the qualities of good sportsmanship and character, and follows the University’s creed of “Learn, Lead and Serve” on and off the court.
Sanford started his Dayton career with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Arkansas State in the team’s opener. He scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting against Manhattan. Sanford scored 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the victory at Alabama.
In a pivotal non-conference match-up against Murray State, Sanford scored a career-high 23 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and had three steals. Against UAB, Sanford netted 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc and pulled down five rebounds.
Against Fordham, Sanford drained 4-of-6 threes en route to 19 points and tied a career-high with six assists. At Xavier, he tallied 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
In the match-up vs. Temple, Sanford scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and hauled in four rebounds. At UMass, he tallied 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and dished out four assists.
Sanford scored 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting and had four assists against St. Bonaventure. He played a career-high 37 minutes at George Washington and tallied 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and pulled down five rebounds.
2011-12
Sanford sat out the 2011-2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
At Georgetown
At Georgetown, Sanford played in 27 games in both his freshman and sophomore years. Averaging 6.6 minutes a game this past season, he averaged 2.4 points per game, and shot .522 (24-46) from the field, .600 (12-20) from three-point range and 1.000 (6-6 from the line). As a freshman, he averaged 1.2 points a game, but got to the line 17 times, making 14 freebies.
High School
Played the final two seasons of his high school career at Lexington Catholic High School for coach Brandon Salsman. As a senior, Sanford averaged 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists a game and was selected First Team All-Kentucky by the Louisville Courier-Journal, Associated Press, and the Lexington Herald Leader. He led Lexington Cath to a 26-8 record, a #9 ranking in the state of Kentucky and a berth in the Kentucky Elite 8, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team. A McDonald's All-American nominee, he was ranked 30th nationally by Scout.com for point guards.
As a junior, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.0 steals, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds a game, and helped lead the Knights to a 34-4 record, a #1 ranking in the state and a Final Four appearance in the Kentucky State tournament. He was selected to the state All-Tournament Team, as well as Third Team All-State by the Courier Journal.
As a sophomore, Sanford averaged 14.1 points a game at Lexington Lafayette High School.
Sanford completed his high school career by playing in the Kentucky/Indiana All-Stars Basketball Classic.
Personal Data:
Son of: Vincent and Angela Sanford
Siblings: Nataliah (18)
Birthday: December 5, 1990
Major: History
High School Coach: Brandon Salsman
AAU TEAM: Shining Stars
Full name is Vincent Laron Sanford II ... The son of Vincent and Angela Sanford ... Has a sister, Nataliah ... His father played basketball for three seasons at the University of South Florida.
Dayton Career Highs
Points: 23, Murray State (12/22/12); vs. Fordham (3/13/14)
Rebounds: 8, vs. Boston College (11/16/12)
Assists: 6, vs. Boston College (11/16/12); Fordham (1/23/13)
Steals: 4, at Massachusetts (2/23/13)
Blocks: 2, Florida Atlantic (12/15/12)
FGs Made: 9, vs. Fordham (3/13/14)
FT Made: 7, Murray State (12/22/12); George Washington (2/1/14)
Minutes: 37, at George Washington (3/9/13)
Flyer 43's...
Chuck Grigsby (195-52), Garry Roggenburk (1960-62), Bob Sullivan (1962-64), Wayne Taubken (1964-65), Glinder Torain (1965-68), Don Bernard (1968-69), John Bitter (1970-73), Erv Giddings (1974-77), Willie Johnson (1978-79), Marko Pikaar (1992-96)
