Lansdale Catholic’s Sanyiah Littlejohn prepares for ‘big summer’ in the spotlight

It looks so effortless for Sanyiah Littlejohn, like she is not moving.

Then you notice the 5-foot-9 guard for Lansdale Catholic running by everyone on the court. Blink, and she is weaving her way by a maze of defenders with outstretched arms down the middle of the lane for a layup.

Littlejohn, 17, is a three-year starter for the Crusaders who played a vital role as a sophomore in Lansdale Catholic’s 2023 trifecta in winning the Philadelphia Catholic League, District 12, and PIAA Class 6A championships.

Gabby Casey, now entering her sophomore year at St. Joseph’s, was the go-to star of the Crusaders’ 2022-23 team and had help from Jaida Helm (Harcum College). Next season’s Crusaders will feature 6-2 senior Grace McDonough along with 5-8 senior guard Nadia Yemola.

But Lansdale Catholic will go as Littlejohn goes. She is a pass-first, facilitating point guard who learned the game on the playground against boys. So far, Littlejohn has received scholarship offers from Charleston, George Mason, Long Island University, Fordham, Maryland-Baltimore County, Monmouth, and Massachusetts.

This summer, Littlejohn is looking to increase her college exposure, and she got off to a great start at the Atlantic City Showcase for the Books & Basketball team at the Atlantic City Convention Center on May 17. Against SLAAM P24, Littlejohn scored six points on 3-for-4 shooting, and added seven assists, three steals, and three rebounds.

In other words, a typical Littlejohn game is doing a little of everything to enable her team to win.

“That comes from playing against boys since I was 6,” she said. “I did not really get introduced to playing organized basketball against girls until I was in seventh grade. I was a tomboy playing against the boys. There were a few times when they would not let me play, of course. I was a girl. I had to deal with a little of that. I had to earn the right to play against the boys. It is a more physical, faster game. I was knocked down.”

And she would get back up.

She has always been a pass-first point guard, sometimes to her detriment when it comes to shooting the ball. With Casey graduated, Littlejohn actually shot less in her junior year than she did as a sophomore. The Crusaders reinvented themselves last season, looking to pound the ball inside to McDonough, said coach Eric Gidney, and sometimes that congested the lane, so Littlejohn, who thrives on getting to the rim, had limited room to work.

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“There were new pieces and new elements of who we were as a team last year, but this year, especially with this being Sanyiah’s senior year, I really do expect the spotlight of who we are offensively and defensively to be on her,” Gidney said. “It is not frustrating as much as it is surprising that Sanyiah is not getting more college looks. George Mason and Charleston are very good opportunities, but she may be a victim of the transfer portal. Coaches want to grab experienced point guards.

“What always impressed me about her is [that] there are so many ways she can help a team win. As dynamic as she is, she is a really good floor general. ... This is going to be a really fun senior year for Sanyiah.”

Last season, Littlejohn worked well with McDonough on the pick-and-roll, and in the Atlantic City Showcase, she worked exceptionally well with her Books & Basketball teammate Aidan Langley, a 6-1 center at Westtown School, on that play.

“But I have to shoot the ball more my senior year, and I have to be more aggressive with the ball,” Littlejohn said. “I would not say there is war going on in my head about shooting or not. It is a battle of consciousness, because if I drive the ball and the defense comes to me, there will be someone open for me to get them the ball.

“It is always the way I played. When I was young, it was the same way. I passed to the boys, because they were the ones who shot. My dad gets on me about shooting more. I know I can score. I just do not do it. I pride myself on getting everyone involved and playing defense.”

Littlejohn knows she has optional gears she could hit athletically. She is often the fastest player on the court and has to slow down at times for her teammates to catch up.

“I am patient and I believe in timing, this is a big summer for me,” she said. “This is my last year of AAU. I did not pick [up] my first college offer until last summer. I was expecting my first offers before that. It could be frustrating. I am hopeful I can get a Power Five offer. And that is frustrating, because of the transfer portal.

“I hope I can help myself this summer.”

Littlejohn said she needs to add some muscle to her lanky frame. Until recently, she has never been on a consistent weight training program. She also wants to be more aggressive off screens, improve her shot, and shoot more confidently.

Neumann Goretti’s Hall of Fame coach, Andrea Peterson, coached Littlejohn last summer for the AAU Philadelphia Belles. She also has the misfortune of facing Littlejohn again in the Catholic League this season.

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“Sanyiah is special,” Peterson said. “I love her game. She could score at will, but she gets everyone involved. As a coach, you have to love her game. As an opposing coach, she gives you a lot of headaches, not only with her speed but with her size being long. She can get to the basket and she gets everyone involved.”

Littlejohn added: “Sometimes I lack confidence shooting, and that is the mental thing that I can get carried away with. I know I am capable of scoring, and it is something my coaches tell me about all the time.”

Now’s the time to do it.

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.