Snider thrives, Rozier happy and yellow laces

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The last time freshman point guard Quentin Snider walked onto the floor here at the Carrier Dome, he was the unexpected starter in place of then-suspended Chris Jones.

"My heart was dancing on my tongue," he said.

Considering the circumstances, the Louisville native played well. He was 5 of 13 from the field, with 13 points, four assists and three rebounds in a 69-59 Louisville loss to Syracuse.

And since he has taken full control of U of L's reins after Jones's dismissal from the team, Snider has shed a lot of the nervousness he dealt with last month. He still had a few butterflies in last weekend's NCAA tournament games in Seattle, but his 26 points, nine rebounds and three assists in those two contests gave U of L a significant boost.

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Nothing illustrated that better than his two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to beat UC-Irvine in the opening round. After the game, Snider walked back to the locker room and checked his phone. He didn't have service. Once he got to the team bus, though ...

"My phone was going nonstop," Snider said, smiling.

It's rare to hear Snider talk all that much. He answers questions from reporters with one, sometimes two sentences. He comes across as shy, but there has been nothing shy about his production in his new role. He has averaged 9.1 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds over the seven games since Jones left the team. He's shooting 40 percent.

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"He's in a different role and he can showcase his skills a lot more," U of L coach Rick Pitino said. "He's improved, but I think (it's) because going head-to-head with Chris Jones every day made him a much better basketball player."

Rozier reviews his season: Louisville's leading scorer was asked on Thursday to look back on his sophomore year. Entering the 2014-15 campaign, the 6-foot-1 Rozier was expected to have a breakout season. That stemmed from the buzz he generated with strong performances at several summer workouts around the country.

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He had a rough February, shooting 33 percent from the field. But overall, Rozier has had close the season many expected. He averages 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and two steals a game, playing 34.6 minutes a contest. His shooting percentage -- 41.8 percent overall, 30.9 percent from 3 -- and turnover rate (2.2 per game) are the only true blemishes on his profile.

"I think it went pretty well," Rozier said. "At the beginning of the year, I was still trying to figure out where I could get my shots and I was still trying to find the game."

Rozier said he relied on former U of L star Russ Smith for guidance, exchanging messages with the 2014 All-American on how to play the off-guard role in Louisville's scheme.

"He just told me I had to pick out my spots," Rozier said. "He was so successful in this program and this offense, so I did that. I spent a lot of time in the gym, and I think it worked out well for me. Not counting that bad month I had, it's been a good year. I'm not satisfied, though. I want to get to Final Four."

Transcripts:Coaches, players talk U of L-NC State

Gottfried on Murray State: NC State coach Mark Gottfried got his start with the Racers, winning 68 games in three years and reaching two NCAA tournaments. He left in 1998, but Gottfried said he still follows Murray State as much as he can, including Wednesday's three-point NIT loss to Old Dominion.

"Loved it, loved Murray," Gottfried said. "I watched them (Wednesday) night, broke my heart. They got beat on a buzzer beater. Steve Prohm has done a great job ... The state of Kentucky, the way they love basketball and treat basketball, people follow it. They're into it. It was a lot of fun."

Yellow laces Friday: Louisville will wear yellow shoelaces for Friday's Sweet 16 game to support Go 4 The Goal, Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer. Junior forward Montrezl Harrell was assigned a class service project, and he asked his team to wear the laces.