Riverdale, N.Y. — Amaan Sandhu will join the Manhattan College men's basketball program for the 2024-2025 season, Jaspers head coach John Gallagher announced. Sandhu is the first Indian born player to ever receive a D1 men's basketball scholarship.
"Amaan is a very intriguing player for us," says Gallagher. "I love his size and length and versatility on offense. Defensively, he will bring a long presence and we expect big things on the glass from him."
The 7'1" Sandhu arrives from Monmouth University where he played two seasons for the Hawks. This past season Sandhu shot 60 percent from the field in limited minutes. He will have two seasons of eligibility left.
In 2017, Sandhu was the youngest member of the burgeoning NBA Academy in India. The rise of Sandhu—who was 6-7 at 13 years old—and other Indian prospects prompted the NBA to open 20 basketball schools in nine different cities. The momentum driven by the careers of Sandhu and others has led to basketball being the second fastest growing sport in India only behind soccer.
Growing up Sandhu experimented with other sports but eventually gravitated to basketball given his family's connection to the sport. His father, Gurcharanjeet Singh Sandhu, played for the Indian National Team and professionally. His mother, Rajinder Kaur, played basketball locally while his older sister, Aarkarshan, suited up for the U18 team.
A huge growth spurt for Amaan caught the eyes of American scouts and he enrolled at First Love Christian Academy located outside of Pittsburgh. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and two assists while competing for FLCA. His slash line included 62.1 percent from the field, 35 percent from three, and 74.9 percent from the free throw line.
As a member of the U-16 Indian National Team, Saandhu led his home country to a historic best fifth-place finish in the FIBA Asian Championships. In 2019, Saandhu was called up to the senior national team and helped lead his team to a gold medal in the South Asian Games. In 2020, he competed for the national team at the FIBA Asia qualifiers.
Additionally, Sandhu has had the chance to participate in a number of highly visible basketball events: Basketball Without Borders Asia, NBA Global Camp, NBA Academy Games, and Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.
"We are very excited to welcome Amaan to our program," Gallagher said.
