Tony Snell (basketball)

See also other people called Tony Snell (disambiguation).

Tony Snell

Snell with the Bulls in January 2014
No. 20 – Chicago Bulls
Position	Small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1991-11-10) November 10, 1991 Watts, Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Martin Luther King (Riverside, California) Westwind Academy (Phoenix, Arizona)
College	New Mexico (2010–2013)
NBA draft	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro playing career	2013–present
Career history
2013–present	Chicago Bulls

Tony Rena Snell, Jr. (born November 10, 1991)^[1][2] is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted with the 20th overall pick in 2013 NBA draft by the Bulls. Before declaring for the draft, Snell played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos. Born in Watts, California, Snell moved to Phoenix, Arizona before his senior year to finish high school at Westwind Preparatory Academy. There he was a teammate of Jamaal Franklin, who went on to play for SDSU and then was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the same 2013 NBA draft when Snell went to the Bulls. Snell was the starting small forward for New Mexico in his sophomore and junior seasons. He helped lead the Steve Alford-coached Lobos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids during his sophomore and junior years.

High school

Snell was a 2009 graduate of Martin Luther King High School, where he, along with Kawhi Leonard,^[3] (currently with the San Antonio Spurs). led the Wolves to a 30-3 season and a national rank of seventh in the MaxPreps/National Guard computer rankings.^[4] 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.^[4]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,^[5]

New Mexico

Freshman Year, 2010–2011

Noted by ESPN as "one of the top sleepers on the West Coast" and a "diamond in the rough" in their scouting reports,^[6] Snell committed to the Lobos on September 15, 2009^[7] and signed in November 2009.^[4]

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.^[4]

Sophomore Year, 2011–2012

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.^[8] 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 at the beginning of the regular season,^[9] a spot he kept through the entire season. Snell quickly established himself as a potent scorer — especially from three-point range — as he became the team's leading scorer for a portion of the year. He scored in double-digit in 12 of the Lobos' 16 non-conference games, including 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.

However, in New Mexico's 14 Mountain West games, Snell scored in double figures just five times. In fact, Snell struggled to produce for the Lobos insofar as he was held scoreless in back-to-back games and was called "suddenly tentative" after a stretch of seven games saw Snell average 4.1 points per game and lose his position as the team's leading scorer.^[10][11] In spite of that, Snell was able to increase his production at the MW Tournament, posting double-digit output in three-straight games. He scored 15 points and had 6 assists and 6 rebounds in a semifinal victory over UNLV, and added 14 in the championship game versus San Diego State. For his efforts, Snell was named to the All-Tournament team.^[12] Snell was a non-factor once again in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-seed Lobos, going just 1-of-9 for a combined three points in contests versus 12th-seeded Long Beach State and fourth-seeded Louisville.

Snell was awarded Honorable Mention All-Mountain West at the end of the regular season.^[13]

Professional career

Snell was drafted 20th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2013 NBA Draft. On July 10, 2013, he signed his first professional contract with the Bulls.^[14] He joined the Bulls for 2013 NBA Summer League. He went on to average 11.8ppg, 6.6rpg, and 2.2apg.^[15]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

References

External links

• NBA.com Profile