By JACK LeGWIN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
Quentin Snider is living his dream.
The Louisville (KY) native made a huge splash early in his sophomore year when he committed to his hometown Louisville Cardinals, and has backed up his decision over the last two seasons by honing his skills, most recently leading Ballard (KY) to the state championship game in 2013, averaging 19.6 points per game.
“When I was a little kid, I always wanted to go to Louisville,” Snider told SNY.tv. “It’s where I’m from, and I’ve always wanted to play in front of my hometown fans.”
Many have compared him to Peyton Siva, and it isn’t hard to see why. The 6-foot-1 175-pound junior is ranked 31st in his class by ESPN, and 29th by Rivals.com. Snider is armed with a deadly crossover which is reminiscent of Siva’s, but is more offensively advanced than Siva was at Snider’s current age.
Snider’s coach at Ballard (KY), Chris Renner, sees some resemblance not only to Siva, but also Russ Smith.
“Quentin is a guy who has the qualities of a Siva, with his ability to drive,” Renner said. “But he also has the ability to shoot the ball like Russ Smith. He’s not just a guy who can just pass or shoot. He can do both. It’s a really nice mixture, and it’s his game.”
Snider admits that he indeed sees the similarities to Siva and Smith as well.
“Siva can pass the ball really well, and he knows how to run the show, which is what I love to do,” he said. “Russ can really score, and if our team needs to score, I can get the bucket.”
Perhaps most importantly, Snider doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. In a showdown with the Harrison twins and Fort Bend Travis (TX) in November, Snider led Ballard in scoring with 28 points on 3-7 from deep and 11-12 from the free-throw line despite losing, 78-76.
“Quentin has gotten a great opportunity to go to the school of his choice, which is his home school, with such great tradition and fan support.” Renner said. “He’s a great kid, he competes, doesn’t take a day off, and always wants to get better.”
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