| Tony Snell | |
|---|---|
| College | University of New Mexico |
| Conference | Mountain West |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Small forward, Point forward |
| Jersey # | 21 |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | November 10, 1991 Riverside, California |
| High school | Martin Luther King High School |
Tony Snell (born November 11, 1991) is an American college basketball player for the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team. Born in Riverside, California, Snell has become the starting small forward for UNM in his sophomore season. He supplanted three-year started Phillip McDonald on route to leading the Steve Alford-coached Lobos in scoring in his second year.
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Snell was a 2009 graduate of Martin Luther King High School, where he lead the Wolves to a 30-3 season and a national rank of seventh in the MaxPreps/National Guard computer rankings.[1] Snell averaged 14 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 4 blocks per game and 3 assists per game in his senior campaign under head coach Tim Sweeney.[1] In 2009, Snell enrolled at Westwind Preparatory Academy, where he averaged 19.5 points, 10 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.8 blocks,[2] while playing with Kawhi Leonard,[3] who is now with the San Antonio Spurs.
Noted by ESPN as "one of the top sleepers on the West Coast" and a "diamond in the rough" in their scouting reports,[4] Snell committed to the Lobos on September 15, 2009[5] and signed in November 2009.[1]
Snell started his freshman season as a reserve backing up two-year starter Phillip McDonald. Snell eventually earned a starting role in a Feb. 1 contest vs. Air Force, and started the next six games until being relegated back to the bench for the last seven games of the 2010-2011 season. Snell's breakout game was a win against then-#9 BYU, where he knocked down four three-pointers in a 16-point performance. He followed that up two weeks later with a then-career record 19 points in a 68-57 triumph over Wyoming. Nonetheless, as the season's stakes rose, Snell's point production and minutes fell, to the point where he scored just 11 points in his last eight games, going 4-for-27 from the floor and 1-for-20 from behind the arc to finish the season.[1]
| Games Played | Games Started | Minutes/Game | Points/Game | Rebounds/Game | Assists/Game | Field Goal Percentage | 3pt. Field Goal Percentage | Free Throw Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 7 | 17.5 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 36.4% | 34.5% | 73.5% |
Despite being praised for the potential to do more for the Lobos in his sophomore campaign, Snell was still tabbed to be a bench player for the guard-heavy New Mexico squad.[6] However, due to injuries suffered by three-year starter Phillip McDonald and the fact that Snell was "tearing it up in practice and was dynamic in both of the Lobos’ exhibition wins", Snell was able to take his place in the starting lineup,[7] a spot he's yet to vacate. Snell quickly established himself as a potent scorer — especially from three-point range — as he became the team's leading scorer.[8] He has scored in double-digit in 10 of the first 14 non-conference games the Lobos have won, include three where he scored 20-plus: 21 points in a win vs. Washington St., 24 points in a victory against Montana St., and 24 points in a defeat of in-state rival New Mexico St.
| Games Played | Games Started | Minutes/Game | Points/Game | Rebounds/Game | Assists/Game | Field Goal Percentage | 3pt. Field Goal Percentage | Free Throw Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 14 | 27.9 | 13.6 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 49.6% | 44.4% | 84.6% |