The Sanderson family influence on Notre Dame men’s basketball continued Monday.
One day after four-star point guard Jonathan Sanderson, son of new Notre Dame director of men’s basketball strength and conditioning Jon Sanderson, announced his verbal commitment to the Irish, 7-foot center Gan-Erdene Solongo followed suit. Solongo, who is originally from Mongolia, has been living with the Sandersons since 2023.
Solongo committed to Notre Dame over offers from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Butler, Xavier and others. He averaged 12.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a junior at Ensworth School in Nashville, Tenn. Solongo and Sanderson, who was the 2024-25 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball, will play their senior seasons at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere.
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Rivals has not yet rated or ranked Solongo. On3 rates him as a four-star recruit and ranks him as the No. 15 center and No. 99 overall in the 2026 class.
Jon Sanderson and his wife, Jenn, became the legal guardians for Solongo after he came to the U.S. and played the 2022-23 season with The Flyght Academy in Dayton, Ohio, and needed a place to live in order to stay stateside. Solongo joined the family in Michigan for his sophomore year at Saline (Mich.) High.
Solongo played with Jonathan Sanderson on Hoop City in the New Balance P32 AAU Circuit this spring. They’ll play a national schedule this coming season at La Lumiere, which isn’t a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. The boarding school has developed into a basketball powerhouse that’s been home to NBA players Isaiah Stewart, Jordan Poole, Jaren Jackson and Jaden Ivey. Incoming Notre Dame freshman Jalen Haralson, the top recruit in ND’s 2025 class, also played at La Lumiere.
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Notre Dame’s lauded 2025 class, which included four recruits, didn’t receive any verbal commitments until September of last year. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry has worked faster to fill up the 2026 class.
Notre Dame’s projected 2025-26 roster consists of 13 players. Only two have expiring eligibility: forwards Kebba Njie and Carson Towt, a transfer from Northern Arizona. The roster limit for men’s basketball will be 15 players with the implementation of the House vs. NCAA settlement.
Solongo will become part of the next wave of size on Notre Dame’s roster. The Irish signed 6-10 center Tommy Ahneman in the 2025 class and 6-11 forward Garrett Sundra in the 2024 class.
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