Staten Island Advance Article

Brooklyn Heights, NY -- St. Francis Brooklyn has signed guard Glenn Sanabria (St. Peter's/Staten Island, NY) and wing Gunnar Olafsson (Iceland) to National Letters of Intent for the 2014-2015 campaign, it was announced today by Terriers' head basketball coach Glenn Braica.  The duo will join forward Chris Hooper (Satellite Academy/Bronx, NY), a transfer from Odessa Community College who did not play this past season but was enrolled at the college.

"We are extremely happy to be able to add three talented and high-character young men to help us build on last year's success," said Terriers' head coach Glenn Braica.  "I think all three will have an opportunity to contribute right away."

The 5-foot-10 Sanabria helped lead the Eagles to a 27-4 record this past season and their first Staten Island High School title since 2009.  The heady point guard averaged 13.6 points and 6.0 assists per game while directing the squad to their first CHSAA AA intersectional semifinal appearance since 2002.  As a junior, Sanabria averaged 23.0 points per game in the city playoffs and scored 23 points against eventual state champion Christ the King.  This past year, he scored 15 points against Archbishop Molloy in the CHSAA quarterfinals and added 17 points in the semifinals against Bishop Loughlin.  Earlier in the season, Sanabria was named the Most Valuable Player at the Alumni Holiday Tournament after scoring 28 points against Christian Brothers Academy and also contributed nine points, seven assists, and four steals in the championship game victory against Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.).  Following the season, Sanabria was named to the Mayor's Cup and started for the CHSAA all-stars against the PSAL all-stars.  The Staten Island Advance two-time all-star was also named the 2014 recipient of Staten Island's prestigious Jack Zaborowski Award, presented to a player who exhibits consistency, competiveness, sportsmanship, toughness, leadership and plays a pivotal role in his team's success.  MSG Varsity also named Sanabria to the NYC First Team squad.

"Glenn is a skilled guard that possesses a great feel for the game and comes from a winning background," Braica stated.  "He excels at creating opportunities for his teammates but is also a very good scorer and knows how to use ball screens.  He's also physically strong for his position and has the potential to be a very good defender."

Olafsson, a 6-foot-2 wing has played for SC Keflavik in his native Iceland for the past two seasons.  He averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds this past year under former Terrier assistant coach Andy Johnston.

"Gunnar is an athletic wing guard that has an excellent mid-range game and is a good three-point shooter," Braica said.  "He's a high-effort player who is really good in transition and is an excellent defender."  

The 6-foot-6 Hooper prepped at Satellite Academy before playing one season at both Kaskasia Community College (Illinois) and at Odessa Community College (Texas.).  Hooper, who averaged 12.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in his senior year at Satellite Academy will have two years of eligibility at St. Francis Brooklyn.   Hooper averaged 11.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in his first collegiate season at Kaskasia and helped lead the squad to a 20-11 record.  He also shot 62 percent from the field and averaged a block per game.  In his sophomore year, Hooper contributed 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for national powerhouse Odessa.

"Chris gives us another physical inside presence in the frontcourt," Braica stated. "He will be able to score, rebound, and block shots with any of the top frontcourt players in our conference.  "Chris also brings a great personality and has a team-first attitude."

St. Francis Brooklyn is coming off a season in which they tied a Northeast Conference record with nine non-conference victories and finished 18-14 overall. 

"We are looking forward to having a chance to be a very good team next season," Braica said.  "We have a decent amount of experience returning and we should be extremely athletic.  Our rebounding and shot blocking ability should be great strengths of ours."