Tuesday, July 08, 2003
News Flash: Schools Interested In Tall Players
The Journal News (Westchester County, NY)
June 26, 2003 Thursday
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 2B
Lakeland star set for important summer
Division I programs already interested in 6-foot-6 Schneider
By Ethan Slavin
For The Patent Trader
For most high school students, the summer after junior year means spending some time with friends, relaxing in the sun and having fun before the rigors and stress of senior year starts.
For a high school basketball player looking to play at the collegiate level, the summer before senior year is a little different. Those few months can have a tremendous impact on where a high school player ends up playing in college.
Despite knowing how important this summer is, 6-foot-6 Lakeland senior-to-be Ryan Schneider said that he is staying calm about the next few months.
"To me, there is no pressure this summer, no real reason to panic," said Schneider, a guard/forward. "Basketball has been such an important part of my life for so long, and I've always dreamed of playing at the college level. I know that this summer I'm just going to prove that I belong at that level."
Academics are important
Schneider has already proven that to many NCAA Division I coaches. He's being recruited by Bucknell, Holy Cross, Colgate, Lehigh, Albany, Vermont, Marist and Siena and has also drawn interest from Providence.
While he has yet to find a definitive favorite, Schneider, who maintains a 93 average in school, has found the combination of academics and athletics at the Patriot League schools very appealing.
"I realize that education is really important and should be a big factor in my decision," he said. "I think at those schools (Bucknell, Holy Cross, Colgate and Lehigh), you can get a great education and still play basketball at a high level."
In an interesting twist, Schneider actually learned about these institutions by reading a book about the Patriot League written by John Feinstein entitled, "The Last Amateurs."
"Reading that book really spurred my interest in the schools," Schneider said. "They are the last group of student-athletes in Division I that are students before they are athletes, and only in the last couple of years have the schools even given athletic scholarships."
Playing AAU with Hawks
Despite his strong standing with these schools, Schneider still will have an incredibly hectic summer. He is a starter on the Westchester Hawks 17-and-under select team, which is currently ranked nationally, and which will be traveling to tournaments all over the country this summer, including trips to Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., in July.
"I think that by playing in these tournaments, you get exposed to schools that might not know about you otherwise," Schneider said.
Schneider's AAU coach, Phil Diasparra, thinks that Schneider has the necessary skills to play at the highest level of college basketball.
"I really think he's a D-I player," Diasparra said. "He is 6-6, is very long, has a lot of talent and he understands the game."
In addition to his AAU commitments, Schneider will also be attending Eastern Invitational Camp July 7-10.
In the little spare time that he has, he said there will be one place that he can almost always be found - the gym.
"Whenever I have the chance, I'm going to be working out, trying to improve," Schneider said. "I'm going to try to be in the gym as much as possible."
Eyeing areas to improve
Schneider said that there are specific parts of his game that need to improve if he is going to succeed at the next level.
"I need to work on my quickness, my strength, my jumping ability and defense," Schneider said. "I think in my other areas, like shooting and ball-handling, I still need to improve, but those first four things are really what I need to get better at."
Even with all these personal commitments, Schneider said that he would also be focused on his senior year at Lakeland, which is why he will be playing on Lakeland's summer league team as well.
Schneider's fall plans are less certain.
He was quarterback on Lakeland's football team that ended the regular season with its first winning record in three years last fall, but said he is "90 percent sure" he will not play this year so that he can concentrate on basketball.
"This is my last season, and I really want to leave it all out there," Schneider said. "I don't want to have any regrets, so over the next three or four months, I'm really going to work as hard as possible."
This type of dedication is music to the ears of Lakeland coach Henry Weltman, who praised Schneider for having one of the best work ethics he has seen in his coaching career.
"He's one of those kids that you have to kick out of the gym," Weltman said. "He really wants to be a Division I player, and he's working toward that goal."
Aaron Houston/The Patent Trader
As a member of the nationally ranked Westchester Hawks 17-and-under select team, Ryan Schneider will be traveling all over the country this summer to showcase his skills, including trips to Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., in July. @ 2:07 PM
The Journal News (Westchester County, NY)
June 26, 2003 Thursday
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 2B
Lakeland star set for important summer
Division I programs already interested in 6-foot-6 Schneider
By Ethan Slavin
For The Patent Trader
For most high school students, the summer after junior year means spending some time with friends, relaxing in the sun and having fun before the rigors and stress of senior year starts.
For a high school basketball player looking to play at the collegiate level, the summer before senior year is a little different. Those few months can have a tremendous impact on where a high school player ends up playing in college.
Despite knowing how important this summer is, 6-foot-6 Lakeland senior-to-be Ryan Schneider said that he is staying calm about the next few months.
"To me, there is no pressure this summer, no real reason to panic," said Schneider, a guard/forward. "Basketball has been such an important part of my life for so long, and I've always dreamed of playing at the college level. I know that this summer I'm just going to prove that I belong at that level."
Academics are important
Schneider has already proven that to many NCAA Division I coaches. He's being recruited by Bucknell, Holy Cross, Colgate, Lehigh, Albany, Vermont, Marist and Siena and has also drawn interest from Providence.
While he has yet to find a definitive favorite, Schneider, who maintains a 93 average in school, has found the combination of academics and athletics at the Patriot League schools very appealing.
"I realize that education is really important and should be a big factor in my decision," he said. "I think at those schools (Bucknell, Holy Cross, Colgate and Lehigh), you can get a great education and still play basketball at a high level."
In an interesting twist, Schneider actually learned about these institutions by reading a book about the Patriot League written by John Feinstein entitled, "The Last Amateurs."
"Reading that book really spurred my interest in the schools," Schneider said. "They are the last group of student-athletes in Division I that are students before they are athletes, and only in the last couple of years have the schools even given athletic scholarships."
Playing AAU with Hawks
Despite his strong standing with these schools, Schneider still will have an incredibly hectic summer. He is a starter on the Westchester Hawks 17-and-under select team, which is currently ranked nationally, and which will be traveling to tournaments all over the country this summer, including trips to Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., in July.
"I think that by playing in these tournaments, you get exposed to schools that might not know about you otherwise," Schneider said.
Schneider's AAU coach, Phil Diasparra, thinks that Schneider has the necessary skills to play at the highest level of college basketball.
"I really think he's a D-I player," Diasparra said. "He is 6-6, is very long, has a lot of talent and he understands the game."
In addition to his AAU commitments, Schneider will also be attending Eastern Invitational Camp July 7-10.
In the little spare time that he has, he said there will be one place that he can almost always be found - the gym.
"Whenever I have the chance, I'm going to be working out, trying to improve," Schneider said. "I'm going to try to be in the gym as much as possible."
Eyeing areas to improve
Schneider said that there are specific parts of his game that need to improve if he is going to succeed at the next level.
"I need to work on my quickness, my strength, my jumping ability and defense," Schneider said. "I think in my other areas, like shooting and ball-handling, I still need to improve, but those first four things are really what I need to get better at."
Even with all these personal commitments, Schneider said that he would also be focused on his senior year at Lakeland, which is why he will be playing on Lakeland's summer league team as well.
Schneider's fall plans are less certain.
He was quarterback on Lakeland's football team that ended the regular season with its first winning record in three years last fall, but said he is "90 percent sure" he will not play this year so that he can concentrate on basketball.
"This is my last season, and I really want to leave it all out there," Schneider said. "I don't want to have any regrets, so over the next three or four months, I'm really going to work as hard as possible."
This type of dedication is music to the ears of Lakeland coach Henry Weltman, who praised Schneider for having one of the best work ethics he has seen in his coaching career.
"He's one of those kids that you have to kick out of the gym," Weltman said. "He really wants to be a Division I player, and he's working toward that goal."
Aaron Houston/The Patent Trader
As a member of the nationally ranked Westchester Hawks 17-and-under select team, Ryan Schneider will be traveling all over the country this summer to showcase his skills, including trips to Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., in July. @ 2:07 PM
