Men’s basketball head coach Jamion Christian announced the addition of graduate assistants Brandon Leftwich and Kris Saulny to his staff earlier this month.
Leftwich appeared in nine games last season after walking on to the team, and Saulny will join GW after serving as assistant coach at Division III California Lutheran for the past two years, according to a release. Christian said in the release that the duo’s addition to the team is evidence of the program’s growth.
“Being able to add two graduate assistants – especially those of the caliber of Brandon and Kris – speaks to the evolution of our program,” Christian said in a release. “It’s been important to our program to add more staff, and this is a mark of the growth we’ve made over the last three years.”
Leftwich joined the team last season as a walk-on, eventually earning a scholarship by the end of the year. During his time as a Colonial, Leftwich shot 33 percent from the field and added two assists per game, the release states.
The release states that Leftwich previously played under Christian at Mount St. Mary’s, where he also walked on and played in 30 games as a redshirt junior, earning another scholarship. He served as a manager for the team prior to becoming a player.
During his stint with the Mountaineers, he averaged three points and 2.2 rebounds a game while hitting 74 percent from the charity stripe.
This season he will focus on developing the offense along with assistant coach Eric Atkins.
Letfwich made his collegiate debut at Marquette dishing out three assists against the geese and scoring his first collegiate point, a free throw, at Wagner. He scored three points in a home win over the Robert Morris University with a three-point play.
“Brandon is someone that’s been with me for a long time,” Christian said. “I’ve had a chance to watch him grow from a manager to walk-on to scholarship athlete twice. He’s really passionate about building our team and program. He has outstanding loyalty to our vision of what we’re trying to build. I’m excited to work with him.”
After serving as an assistant coach for California Lutheran the past two years, Saulny is returning to his hometown. During his time with the Division III squad, he aided with recruitment, scouting and team preparations, according to the release.
Saulny played at the collegiate level for Widener University, where he shot a .083 clip from the field and tallied 7 assists in 2018, according to the release. He will bolster the defensive side of the ball with assistant coach Graham Bousley.
“Kris comes to us from a basketball background and basketball family,” Christian said. “His mother, (Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement) Helen Cannaday, is a fixture in our GW community. I couldn’t imagine a better person who understands GW and D.C. basketball and will positively impact our players’ lives.”
