Member of 7th and 8th Grade Diocesan Championship Teams. Played in two AAU National Tournaments. Overcame illness and injury throughout his high school career, yet finished his high school career as Brossart’s Fifth Leading All-Time scorer in 2013.
Justin Saunders joined the Bishop Brossart/St. Mary 1,000 Points Club on Saturday night, January 5th, 2013 en route to a 30 points performance in the Crosstown Classic in a win against Campbell County.
He went on to complete his career with 1297 points, good enough for fifth place on the All-Time leading scorers list.
In watching Justin Saunders play his grade school basketball career back at St. Mary, it didn’t take a genius to see that he was going to be a good one.
A member of the Mitch Orth coached 7th Grade Diocesan
Champs, and the Rick Williams coached 8th Grade back-to-back Diocesan Champions, Saunders was the player most responsible for putting the big numbers on the scoreboard. These were notable accomplishments.
Previous to his 7th Grade Team’s title, it had been 25 years since a Diocesan Championship banner had been hoisted to the St. Mary rafters.
Saunders (#44) burst onto the Brossart Mustangs scene, leap-frogging over Freshmen basketball, playing JV ball and appeared in 23 of the 2009-10 Varsity Team’s 26 games.
Justin became the team’s leading scorer during his sophomore season, putting 336 points on the board, and was named the 15-11 Varsity Mustangs’ co-MVP, a title he would earn his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
Justin’s Four Year Composite Varsity Stats Read
Games – 105
Games Started – 82
2Pt Field Goals – 453-917-49.4%
3Pt Field Goals – 48-132-37.1%
TL Field Goals – 501-1049-47.8%
Free Throws – 265-371-71.4%
Points – 1297, 12.4ppg
Rebounds – 383
Assists – 226
Blocks – 62
A fearless competitor, Justin climbed the ladder five times in his career to cut down the nets following winning the 10th Region “A” Championship all four years and the 37th District in 2013.
Sophomore Year
10th Region “A” – MVP
37th District – All Tournament
10th Region – Honorable Mention
Brossart Co-MVP
Junior Year
37th District – All Tournament
10th Region – All-Region
NKBBCA – All-Star
NKAC – All Conference
Brossart – MVP
Senior Year
10th Region “A” – All Tourney
“A” State – All Tournament
37th District – Tournament MVP
10th Region – All Region
NKBBCA – All-Star
NKAC – All Conference
Brossart – MVP
1297 Career Points
Ranked 5th In School History
Justin was a one-sport athlete who spent his off-seasons playing AAU basketball.
During his sophomore year his AAU team qualified for the National Tournament in Orlando, Florida and won the first consolation bracket championship. During that run, Justin scored 23 points in the championship game, after scoring double-figures in each of that tournament’s games.
His junior year AAU team again qualified for the National Tournament and finished in the Final Eight.
Justin Saunders was one of the most exciting Mustangs to ever pull on a Brossart jersey. Equally effective at both ends of the floor, Saunders never took a play off. He played through illness and injury much of his four year varsity career.
Saunders amassed 1297 point while starting all four years, ranking him fifth on the all-time St. Mary/Brossart scoring leaders’ list. He holds the school record for Highest 3pt Field Goal Percentage at 47%, achieved during his junior season.
He scored double-figures 65 times, put up over 20 on 13 occasions, and surpassed the 30 points mark twice.
Justin averaged 16.5ppg his senior season, including 27 double-figure performances, scoring 30 versus Campbell County in the Crosstown Classic, and 32 against Scott in the district finals. He was our go-to man and the team’s MVP his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
Saunders elected not to play college basketball, although that option was certainly open to him. He continued his education at the University of Kentucky.
