UC Irvine’s man of many hats

Tweener, derived from the word between, isn’t usually used as a term of endearment by college basketball coaches.

To be labeled as such typically indicates a shortage of prototypical physical prowess, most often delineated by height.

In mid-major conferences like the Big West, where the supply and demand of recruiting often forces coaches to make creative choices when doling out scholarships, tweeners are as much the rule as the exception.

In rare cases, however, the ability to flow freely between more than one position can create more than consternation for a coach. It can empower them to unleash the ubiquitous talents of a special player, one not restricted by the confines of convention.

For that rare player, one whose physical skills transcend more than defy specificity, each game, each opponent, each possession, offer exponential opportunity.

UC Irvine junior Patrick Sanders is, some believe, this kind of player.

Blessed with quickness, explosive leaping ability and an emerging set of skills that seem to broaden by weekly bounds, the 6-foot-6 “wing” is equal parts two-guard, small forward and defensive stopper.

Heading into tonight’s first-round Big West Tournament clash with No. 8-seeded UC Riverside — tipoff is at 6 at the Anaheim Convention Center — Sanders leads the No. 5-seeded Anteaters (13-17) in scoring (11.8 points per game) and minutes played (31 per contest).

He is also contributing 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and his 1.6 blocks per game lead the conference.

“I’d say it’s equal opportunity,” Sanders said when asked to describe his offensive role. “If there’s a small guy guarding me, I’m going to post on him, maybe bounce on him a little bit and shoot over him.

“If it’s a big guy guarding me, I’m definitely going to bounce on him. I’m really going to try to get to the rack and get to the foul line.”

With myriad options at his disposal, Sanders is, more than any other player in Coach Pat Douglass’ structured offense, encouraged to create his own shots.

But the team-minded Sanders said he is also conscious of not interrupting the symmetry of Douglass’ offensive patterns.

“It can be pretty tough to find when to freelance,” said Sanders, who was not heavily recruited after playing his senior season at Orange High and came to UCI as a walk-on, before quickly earning a scholarship. “Mostly, I want to be patient and not be in a hurry. I want to see how they play me, see what I can do and how I can get my teammates involved. If I look for my teammates and get them going, that opens up more opportunity for me, or maybe someone else. It’s all about winning.”

Sanders said he is most effective when getting to the free-throw line, where he is shooting 80.9% this season (110 for 136).

“[Free throws] are pretty much easy money for me,” Sanders said.

Along with the multiplicity of his job description, Sanders said, comes an ongoing challenge to continue to hone his broad list of skills.

“The toughest part has been trying to keep everything fresh,” Sanders, who earned honorable mention in all-conference voting, said. “There’s not enough hours in the day to do that with classes and everything. I like to come to practice early and get off 200 shots before we even start.”

Sanders, who is averaging 15.5 points the last eight games, said his athleticism has prompted some to wonder why he is not producing more.

“It’s a two-edged sword,” he said. “People say ‘You have all that, you should be doing more.’ But, at the same time, you have to do what’s best for the team. Me averaging 20 points might not be the best thing, because it might mean that [freshman point guard] Michael Hunter doesn’t get his shots, or Chuma [Awaji, a junior guard] doesn’t get his confidence up. You’ve got to come out and pick and choose. And that’s a little tough.”

Despite his soft-spoken manner, Sanders does not lack toughness.

He has overcame initial academic struggles to come within units of finishing work on his degree in economics. And his commitment to weight training, he said, has helped him remain strong throughout this season, after admitting he wore down in 2005-06.

Sanders hopes to continue his recent stretch of productivity to extend the Anteaters’ season in the eight-team tournament.

He also said he would like to pursue basketball opportunities overseas after completing his eligibility next season.

“I still want to play,” Sanders said. “I want to play until it’s all out of my system.”