2016 guard Xavier Sneed has interest from Creighton

As the Creighton coaches try to wind down their 2015 recruiting operation, they have been keeping a close eye on 2016 forward Xavier Sneed. Sneed is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound freakish athlete from Florissant, Mo. Florissant should sound pretty familiar to Jays fans as Sneed plays at the same high school as former Bluejay power forward Mike Grimes.

Rivals national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi expects Sneed to be a four-star and be ranked in the new Rivals 150 for the 2016 class when it comes out in a few weeks. So it's safe to say that Sneed is no longer "under the radar."

"Creighton, Illinios, Kansas State, Missouri and Xavier are recruiting me the hardest right now," Sneed said. "So far I've taken unofficial visits to Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Saint Louis, Missouri and Xavier. I plan on visiting Creighton after my basketball season. Creighton has good academics and a good program. I hear from coach McDermott and coach Lutz pretty often."

Sneed's athletic ability, versatility and transition game are what have him likely to break into the Rivals 150, but those aren't Sneed's favorite things to do on the court.

"I play with a high motor," he said. "I love playing defense. I always want to guard the other team's best player regardless of what position he plays. My offensive game is coming along. I try to do it all for my team, but I'd like to improve my ball handling and my shooting before I get on a college campus."

Sneed and his Hazelwood Central team are currently 18-7, and Sneed is averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds per game. He has aspirations to make the state championship game. Sneed figures to pick up more offers and gain more national attention this spring while he is with his Saint Louis Eagles AAU team that also has a five-star prospect Jayson Tatum and four-star prospect in Tyler Cook on it, and he's in no hurry when it comes to choosing a school.

"I'll probably wait until after my senior season to make a decision on which school to attend," he said. "I'm looking for a school that has a very good academic reputation and a place that produces NBA ballplayers, because that is my ultimate goal."

Sneed likes to model his game after players like Paul George and Scottie Pippen. Expect to see Sneed's name continue to rise on recruiting rankings and for the Jays to have some stiff competition for his services.