Xavier Sneed, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound rising senior forward from Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central, is one of the Midwest’s top frontcourt players. Sneed helped lead the St. Louis Eagles to a 13-4 record in the EYBL and they went 4-1 in the Minneapolis session over the Memorial Day weekend.
Sneed averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 17 games in the EYBL.
Minnesota has offered a scholarship to Sneed, and Gopher Hole recently caught up with Sneed to learn the latest on his college recruitment and summer.
Gopher Hole: Who are you hearing from the most? Who is recruiting you the hardest?
Xavier Sneed: I have already got a couple of offers already, Kansas State, Wichita State, Illinois, St. Louis, Xavier, Mizzou, Creighton, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Xavier Sneed: Especially my defense. I love to guard the best player on the other team and I am trying to develop my shooting abilities and my ball handling a lot.
Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with how well you have been playing during the EYBL sessions?
Xavier Sneed: I am very pleased with our hard work, actually. We have been working really hard in the gym with the team.
Gopher Hole: Have you gotten a chance to go to many college games or visit any colleges so far?
Xavier Sneed: Not so far, really. I have been at home, working.
Gopher Hole: Who do you want to visit?
Xavier Sneed: Me and my parents don’t know right now. We are thinking about putting together a list in August
Gopher Hole: Out of those schools, who do you hear from the most?
Xavier Sneed: They are all pretty much the same.
Gopher Hole: How about your high school team? How did you do this past year?
Xavier Sneed: We lost in the Elite Eight, actually to Jayson Tatum (his AAU teammate and the #2 player in the Class of 2017) against Chaminade. We had a pretty good season in high school this year.
Gopher Hole: They have four Chaminade guys on your AAU team, so do you hear about that loss, unfortunately?
Xavier Sneed: Yes, we do all the time.
Gopher Hole: What do they say?
Xavier Sneed: They’ll say “X, you have got to do better.” Joking around with me.
Gopher Hole: Do you have most of your guys back or did you lose a lot to graduation?
Xavier Sneed: We only lost one senior. Pretty much everyone else is coming back, so we’ll be pretty strong again this year.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for the upcoming season? To get even farther, obviously this year?
Xavier Sneed: Yes, sir.
Gopher Hole: When you finally pick a school what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Xavier Sneed: Academics, of course and can they produce NBA ball players also. Also, the coaches’ relationships with the players, is really big to me.
Gopher Hole: Had you been up to Minnesota before the EYBL trip?
Xavier Sneed: This is my second time. The first time was last year’s EYBL. It is pretty cool. It is good.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota? What are they saying to you?
Xavier Sneed: They really like me. They say that I really fit the program and they like the way that I play and my motor. They say that they really need that right now.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to watch them on TV much this past season?
Xavier Sneed: A little bit.
Gopher Hole: What were your impressions?
Xavier Sneed: Like they say, they really run. I like to run.
Gopher Hole: Did you have a chance to visit Minnesota when you were in town?
Xavier Sneed: We were pretty focused on the EYBL and trying to finish off strong and get to the Peach Jam.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to any college or individual camps this summer?
Xavier Sneed: Not that I know of.
Gopher Hole: What parts of your game have you been working on?
Xavier Sneed: My shooting ability and my ball handling.
Gopher Hole: Is distance going to be much of a factor? A lot of the schools that are recruiting you are Midwestern schools. Is staying close to home important to you?
Xavier Sneed: Not really.
Gopher Hole: Do you come from a basketball family?
Xavier Sneed: My dad played basketball and my mom was a cheerleader.