DERBY FESTIVAL

Ballard's Snider sparkles in Derby Festival Classic

Steve Jones

The hometown kid headed to the hometown college made the hometown fans happy Friday night.

Bishop OÕConnell (MD) high school guard Romelo Trimble (headed to the University of Maryland) tries to cut off Ballard High School guard Quentin Snider (headed to the University of Louisville) as Snider drives to the basket at the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic at Freedom Hall. 18 April 2013

And with his efficient, entertaining passing, Quentin Snider made his future University of Louisville teammates happy, too.

Snider, the Ballard High School point guard, had eight points and a game-high nine assists and earned team MVP honors in leading the White squad past the Green 128-104 in the 41st Derby Festival Basketball Classic in Freedom Hall.

"It was a big honor getting the crowd into it," he said. "It was a lot of fun. It was a big honor to do it in front of the city, in front of my family and my school. It's a big honor to win this MVP."

Midway through the third quarter, Snider was the trigger man for the most exciting sequence of the game. He caught a hit-ahead pass on the fast break and, without looking, flipped the ball back perfectly to fellow U of L signee Chinanu Onuaku, who was streaking in near the foul line and rose up for a big slam.

Then after a dunk by the Green team, Snider raced back downcourt and lobbed it from 40 feet to another future Cardinal, Jaylen Johnson, who powered down a two-handed slam.

"He passed that from halfcourt!" Johnson excitedly reminded reporters after the game.

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 power forward, finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, benefiting a couple times from Snider's precision passing.

"(Snider's) good," Johnson said with a big grin. "I didn't really think he was that good until tonight. He's quick. He can pass. I knew he could do all that. I thought he was always great, but he was really great."

The 6-10 Onuaku had seven points, 10 rebounds and a game-high four steals.

Indianapolis Park Tudor guard Trevon Bluiett, who is committed to Xavier, led the White team with 22 points.

Georgetown signee Isaac Copeland had nine points and won Green team MVP. At halftime he also won the dunk contest, edging out Johnson. Johnson received a perfect score on his last dunk, when his mother came out of the stands and bounced the ball off the backboard to him for a tomahawk dunk.

Former U of L commitment JaQuan Lyle, an Evansville native who is now committed to Oregon, had a team-high 16 points for the Green.

Indiana University signees Robert Johnson and Max Hoetzel scored 10 points each and made two 3-pointers apiece. Hoetzel, an exceptional shooter, also won the 3-point contest at halftime, burning up the nets for 20 points in the shootout. Robert Johnson, who scored 15, finished second.

"I think everyone knows I can (hit threes)," Hoetzel said. "I just wanted to reiterate it. I think everyone got the message."

Snider, Kentucky's Mr. Basketball and the only in-state player in the game, received the largest ovation during pregame introductions for the country's oldest high school all-star game. He slowly walked out from the tunnel to the court with both hands up making the famous "L" gesture, and the court of 5,518 cheered in approval.

Starting alongside Onuaku and Johnson, Snider made his presence known quickly. He dribbled into the lane, made a jump stop and nailed a tough 12-footer.

He later had the play of the half, a coast-to-coast drive in which he spun past a defender, then faked a pass before making a layup.

"I just pretty much wanted to have fun," Snider said. "I was relaxed, and I was just trying to find the open people. That's what I did."