See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Glenn Sanabria ended his travel ball season with New Heights last summer with an uneasy feeling — and without a college scholarship offer — despite being on a team that won the national title.
The St. Peter’s point guard was told to be patient and keep with it, and he was eventually rewarded — finding a home at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.
“After summer, when I had no scholarships, it was very tough,” Sanabria said. “Just mentally it’s, ‘What else can I do? What did I do wrong?’ ”
By the time his senior season was over, he had done everything right and was able to verbally commit last week to play basketball at St. Francis.
The 5-foot-11 Sanabria picked the Terriers over Central Connecticut State and a number of Division-II programs. He wanted to stay close to home on Staten Island so his family could come to games, but he also felt welcomed by the team on his unofficial visits, and was impressed with the honesty of head coach Glenn Braica.
“He didn’t really promise me anything, but he promised me an opportunity to come in and just work,” Sanabria said. “That’s what I am going to do. I’m going to work for everything I have.”
That’s exactly what he did this season.
Sanabria averaged 13.4 points per game and his ability to win on offense helped lead the Eagles to a 27–4 record. St. Peter’s handed city power Cardinal Hayes its only regular-season loss, and reached the Archdiocesan title game. Its trip to the intersectional semifinals was the furthest a Staten Island team has gone on over a decade. It was in a city quarterfinal victory over Molloy and a semifinal loss to Bishop Loughlin where Sanabria impressed the St. Francis College coaches.
“Coach Braica has done a great job identifying kids just like Glenn — those diamonds-in-the-rough-type kids in the city,” New Heights coach Chris Alesi said.
In Sanabria, the Terriers get a true point guard and a winning player who makes his teammates around him better.
His jump shot and physical strength has improved, and he has always had a knack for getting to the basket. Sanabria feels he will mesh well with Terrier forwards Jalen Cannon, Wayne Martin, and Amdy Fall.
“I thought it was a good system for me,” Sanabria said.
He called the scholarship offer the perfect cap to his senior year. Sanabria was happy to be joining an improving program like St. Francis College.
“I have the rest of my senior year to work and get better,” Sanabria said. “I’m just really excited for what’s ahead of me.”