STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The Texans dipped into the JUCO pool again and signed one of the NJCAA's top point guards for 2023-24.
 
Tarleton announced Monday they have added guard Nykesha Sanders from Paris Junior College, who was named All-Conference and All-Region at the NJCAA Division I level last season.
 
Sanders (5-7) averaged 10.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 30 games last year for the Dragons. Across the entire NJCAA D1 ranks, Sanders was ninth in average assists, dishing out the ninth most assists total (183). Paris JC honored her with the team's Most Valuable Player award after the season.
 
This past July, Sanders participated in the JUCO Top 40 All-Star Weekend held in Atlanta.
 
Her freshman year, Sanders was fifth in the country in assists per game at 6.4, adding 6.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.3 SPG. Her 193 assists in 2021-22 were fifth most in NJCAA Division I.
 
Overall across her two years at Paris JC, she averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 60 games. She had double-digit assists nine times, dishing out a career-high 15 assists in her team's win against Weatherford College on Nov. 11, 2022. She scored in double figures 20 times, including three 20-plus point performances, topping out with a 25-point game (3-6 3PT, 8-9 FT) in Paris JC's win against South Plains on Nov. 25, 2022.
 
The Detroit, native, played her prep career at Chandler Park Academy High School in Harper Woods, Michigan. She was on varsity all four years and named the team's captain her junior and senior seasons. She was First Team All-District and an All-State honorable mention, plus was named her team's MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Academically, Sanders was the valedictorian at Chandler Park Academy HS before earning All-Academic honors at Paris JC. She intends to study pre-physical therapy at Tarleton State University.
 
Sanders is the 10th announced signing by head coach Bill Brock, joining post player Faith Acker from Winnsboro High School, guard Miannah Little from McLennan CC, stretch-four Andjela Bigovic from Cochise College, forward Lexi Bull from Wyoming, post Vitória Carvalho from South Plains College, guard Gosia Byczkowska from Howard College, guard Jakoriah Long from Blinn College, post player Dyamon Griggs from Midwestern State, and guard Karyn Sanford from UAlbany.