Fall River’s Sanon commits to Arizona

Joson Sanon, a Fall River native and a star at Vermont Academy, has committed to play basketball at Arizona this fall after reclassifying into the class of 2024.

Sanon, ranked by ESPN as the No. 9 recruit in the class of 2025, helped Vermont Academy claim the NEPSAC AAA championship on March 3.

“I felt like I’d accomplished most of my goals,” Sanon said, “and I feel like I’m ready.”

The 6-foot-5-inch wing played one season at Durfee High before enrolling at Vermont Academy. The son of two Haitian immigrants, Sanon knows how unlikely it is for a kid from Fall River to reach the highest levels of basketball.

“It means a lot, because not a lot of people from out there really make it out,” Sanon said. “I’ve just got to stay focused, stay on the right path.”

His most notable predecessor on that path, Fall River legend Chris Herren, had a little part to play in Sanon’s commitment. Herren took part in Sanon’s commitment video, releasing on Wednesday, narrating the story of Sanon’s rise from Fall River to a Division 1 commitment and dreams of NBA stardom.

“[Herren]’s just a regular guy out of Fall River, just like me,” Sanon said of the former Celtic.

Sanon chose between Arizona and a couple of local schools, with UConn and Boston College in the mix. Eventually, the desire to get out West and lock in on basketball, as he’d done in transferring from Durfee to Vermont Academy, helped drive that decision.

“Something just told me that I needed to go there,” Sanon said. “I’ll feel good over there.”