The sight of Richie Saunders limping off the court with a college career-ending ACL tear in February is quickly fading away.
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It’s replaced by one of the best feel-good stories of the summer: The Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the 32nd pick in the NBA draft this week.
Saunders is an icon in Utah, especially amongst BYU fans, and he’ll fast become a favorite in Memphis because of one glaring trait: He will work harder and hustle more intensely than anyone on his team. He’s done it all his life.
I remember watching Utah State play last year, making the NCAA Tournament after handling its league. I kept thinking, “Why is this team so good?” Then it hit me: The entire team played like Saunders.
He’s the lead in any documentary that shows how hustle gets you somewhere. With him, BYU was a different team than the one that flamed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, riding the back of the draft’s No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa.
When Saunders went down, a lifeline was thrown to two underclassmen, and it was a hard pull for Dybantsa and point guard Robert Wright III.
Saunders was the secret sauce. From getting almost half a dozen rebounds per game to hitting huge 3-point shots and finishing remarkable drives to the rim, Cougars coach Kevin Young missed this Tater Tot King.
The Grizzlies took the 6-foot-5 Saunders as the second pick in the second round of the draft. It was a steal. Saunders averaged exactly 18 points per game last season before tearing his ACL and likely would have pressed himself into a first-round pick if not for the injury.
As it stands, just being two picks away from that threshold isn’t bad.
Wrote The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie of Saunders, “He’s a good shooter who is extremely reliable off the catch and can do just enough beyond to be a role player in an era when you can’t just be a specialist anymore. The issue is that he’s nearly 25 and not overly athletic for what he’ll be asked to do.”
Vecenie had previously given Saunders a first-round grade and described him as a “terrific shooter and mover who is a tailor-made rotation wing if his knee is healthy.”
CBS Sports analyst Adam Finkelstein graded the Grizzlies’ selection an A-minus.
Noted Finkelstein: “We saw a lot of proven high-floor veterans get picked late in the first round yesterday. If Richie Saunders hadn’t torn his ACL, I think he would have been in that category.
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“The Memphis Grizzlies are the best second-round drafting team in the NBA, and they prove it every single time.”
“Richie Saunders is going to be an NBA player for a long time.”@AdamFinkelstein loves this pick from the Grizzlies. 👀 pic.twitter.com/R5a8Q0x1Oq
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 25, 2026
Said Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman on his new draftees, including Saunders: “When we’re thinking about the type of individuals that embody this team, this organization, you’re looking at them… These are guys that are going to go out and fight every day… we couldn’t be more excited organizationally because this is the Grizzlies’ DNA.”
Saunders has been compared to former Aggie Sam Merrill, with a build similar to that of Max Strus, Merrill’s veteran wing teammate on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Saunders thrives off the ball. He has a reputation for solid athleticism, a quick release and outstanding movement. He is energetic with an excellent motor. He’s not as athletic as Strus, say some, but he makes up for it with smarts and hustle.
While Strus has an NBA career average of 10.4 points per game, 42.7% from the floor and 37% on 3s (6.3 attempts per game) in the NBA, Saunders ’ collegiate line last season was 18 points per game on 48.9% shooting from the floor and 37.6% from beyond the arc on 6.8 attempts per game.
He made 81.7% of his free throws.
Of course, NBA and college numbers are apples and oranges, but Saunders’ stat line was impressive. So was his film. He’ll be a contributor for Memphis.
So, as June fades into Utah’s smoky skies, this Saunders story climbs up the scale of my all-time favorite headlines.
Congratulations to his parents, mother Lisa and father Rich. You have to respect the dad, a man who took an eager and hungry son and fed him what he needed to keep the fire burning inside to this point in his basketball career.
All those hours, all those early mornings, the shooting sessions, the pushing, the encouraging and coaching.
It all paid off, Pops. You did it.