Ron Sanford

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Ron Sanford

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|6|11}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York

| nationality = American

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 9

| weight_lb = 215

| high_school = Wingate (Brooklyn, New York)

| college =

Fort Dodge JC (1965–1966)
New Mexico (1966–1969)

| draft_year = 1969

| draft_round = 4

| draft_pick = 51

| draft_team = Cincinnati Royals

| career_start = 1969

| career_end = 1979

| career_number = 15

| career_position = Center / power forward

| years1 = 1969–1970

| team1 = Noalex Venezia

| years2 = 1971

| team2 = Dallas Chaparrals

| years3 = 1971–1972

| team3 = Caen BC

| years4 = 1973–1975

| team4 = Pregassona

| years5 = 1975–1978

| team5 = Lugano

| years6 = 1978–1979

| team6 = Pully

| highlights =

}}

Ronald Sanford (born June 11, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player. The {{cvt|6|ft|9|in|cm}}, {{cvt|215|lb}} post player was described as not intimidating but a smooth and active player who could score.{{cite web |url=http://www.golobos.com/news/2013/6/9/209057152.aspx |title=Stevens: the passion of pit basketball started in Johnson gym |last=Stevens |first=Richard |date=9 June 2013 |website=goLobos.com |access-date=5 September 2015}}

After playing collegiately for New Mexico, he played in the ABA for the Dallas Chaparrals in 1971, spending the near entirety of his career in Europe (particularly in Switzerland).

College career

Sanford played for Wingate High in his home town of Brooklyn, New York.{{cite web |url=http://www.usustats.com/mediaguides/197071mediaguide.pdf#page=5 |title=Utah State basketball: 1970-71 |author= |website=USUstats.com |publisher=Utah Utes |access-date=5 September 2015}}

He next played college basketball from 1966 for New Mexico, in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) of the NCAA University Division.

In his first year as a sophomore,{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=Fresh|Freshmen were ineligible until 1972}} he had 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game,{{Citation |publisher=New Mexico Lobos |title=Lobo Basketball 2014-15 media guide |url=http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=122 |author= |access-date=5 September 2015}} as the team's fifth best scorer.Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=95 95]

As a junior, he increased his averages to 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds, as he earned Second team All-WAC honours,{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19681126&id=-pYwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dEkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7089,6224297&hl=fr |title=Lobos can hardly wait |last=Sheya |first=Norm |date=26 November 1968 |via=Google News Archive |work=Deseret News |access-date=5 September 2015}} having helped the Lobos win the conference.Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=99 99]

However, as New Mexico's second-best scorer and rebounder (trailing only Ron Nelson in scoring), he injured his knee right before the NCAA Tournament,{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19680314&id=X9gzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=6761,5850553&hl=fr |title=New Mexico loses second top player |date=14 March 1968 |via=Google News Archive |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |agency=UPI |location=Albuquerque, New Mexico |access-date=5 September 2015}}{{cite news |author1=Carlos Salazar |title=Sanford confident of Lobo win tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98647916/sanford-confident-of-lobo-win-tonight/ |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=The Albuquerque Tribune |date=29 January 1969 |page=C-1}}{{cite news |author1=LeRoy Bearman |title=Ailing Sanford will not start against Santa Clara |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98649999/ailing-sanford-will-not-start-against-sa/ |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=13 March 1968 |page=F-1}} the first ever played by New Mexico.{{cite web |url=http://www.abqjournal.com/370923/sports/heartache-from-the-beginning.html |title=Heartache from the beginning |last=Smith |first=Mark |date=19 March 2014 |work=Albuquerque Journal |access-date=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220831/http://www.abqjournal.com/370923/sports/heartache-from-the-beginning.html |archive-date=3 March 2016}}

Playing in diminished form, he had only 8 points (on 3-for-9 shooting) and 3 rebounds before fouling out, as the Lobos were bested 73–86 by Santa Clara in their own arena The Pit.

He was on better form the next day during the consolation game against New Mexico State, posting 23 points (with a still-record 11 field goals made) and 8 rebounds, though it was again in a losing effort that saw the Lobos finish fourth in the regional qualifier.Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=110 110]

His senior season saw him post 13.4 points (behind only Greg Howard) and 8.8 rebounds per game, the latter a team-best,Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=63 63] in a team that entered the season with high expectations but finished last of the WAC.

He finished his New Mexico career with 942 points (11.9 per game), whilst his 582 rebounds (7.4 per game) are the seventeenth all-time best for the school as of the 2014–15 season.Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=64 64]

Professional career

Sanford was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 NBA draft (51st pick overall) by the Cincinnati Royals.Media guide 2014–15, [http://golobos.com/documents/2015/8/24/2014_15_Media_Guide.pdf#page=13 13]

He did not play for the Royals, spending the 1969–70 season in the Italian Serie A with Noalex Venezia, finishing as the league's fifth-best scorer with 516 points (23.5 per game), in addition to 309 rebounds over 22 games (14 per game).{{cite web |url=http://195.56.77.208/other/PDF/Stagione%2069-70%20classifiche.pdf |title=Serie A 1969-70 - classifica marcatori |website=LegaBasket.it |access-date=4 September 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=1969–70 Serie A – scorers table}}

Following the season, he was drafted anew, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourteenth round (212th pick) of the 1970 NBA draft but again did not sign for the team.

In June 1970, he toured Italy, playing friendlies as part of a Trans World Airlines squad.{{cite web |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,21/articleid,0131_01_1970_0125_0019_6385472/anews,true/ |title=Basket americano stasera a Torino |date=20 June 1970 |website=ArchivoLaStampa.it |access-date=3 September 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=American basketball tonight in Torino}}

Drafted by the Dallas Chaparrals in the 1969 American Basketball Association Draft (ninth round),{{cite web |url=http://www.apbr.org/abadrafts.html |title=ABA player drafts – 1969 ABA |author= |website=APBR.org |access-date=5 September 2015}} he signed with the team prior to the start of the 1971–72 ABA season.{{cite news |title=Ron Sanford Ready for ABA |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98647484/ron-sanford-ready-for-aba/ |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=18 July 1971 |page=F-3}}

He played one game, posting less than two minutes in a stateless performance against the Virginia Squires on 21 October 1971.{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sanforo01/gamelog/1972/aba/ |title=Ron Sanford 1971-72 Game Log |website=basketball-reference.com |access-date=6 September 2015}}

It proved to be his solitary game for the Chaparrals as he was waived by the club on 13 November 1971 to make space for Simmie Hill's signing.{{cite web |url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252023%2FPittsburgh%2520PA%2520Courier%2FPittsburgh%2520PA%2520Courier%25201971%2FPittsburgh%2520PA%2520Courier%25201971%2520-%25200724.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffdea4c82f%26DocId%3D3145611%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520O%252dG%252dT%252dS%26HitCount%3D2%26hits%3D548%2B549%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fNew%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false |title=Hill Grabbed |date=13 November 1971 |website=Fultonhistory.com |publisher=New Pittsburgh Courier |agency=UPI |location=Dallas |access-date=6 September 2015}}

He finished the season with French side Caen Basket Club.

Sanford later moved to the Swiss Ligue Nationale, playing for Pregassona from 1973,{{cite web |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,11/articleid,1509_02_1973_0259_0011_21237523/ |title=Saclà, dimensione europea |last=Tavarozzi |first=Antonio |date=6 November 1973 |website=ArchivoLaStampa.it |access-date=3 September 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=Saclà, European dimension}} before turning up for Lugano and Pully.

Personal

Sanford and former Lobos teammate Greg Howard were arrested on 20 June 1972 by federal narcotics agents on charges related to cocaine possession and trafficking.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19720622&id=7DhIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bIEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5968,3145521&hl=fr |title=Pro stars are jailed |date=22 June 1972 |via=Google News Archive |work=The Victoria Advocate |agency=Associated Press |location=Albuquerque |access-date=4 September 2015}}

The charges against Sanford were later dismissed by the federal government.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19721125&id=64xOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bvoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2988,6940355&hl=fr |title=Narcotics charges dropped |author= |date=25 November 1972 |via=Google News Archive |work=The Ledger |agency=Associated Press |location=Albuquerque |access-date=4 September 2015}}

Sanford currently splits his time between Plano, Texas and Stockholm, Sweden with his wife, Jannie Sanford.