Cantù basketball announces Xavier Sneed: "I am thrilled"
By means of an official note, Pallacanestro Cantù announced that it has signed a one-year agreement with athlete Xavier Tyron Sneed, a 1997 class small forward. With a height of 196 cm and a weight of 98 kg, Sneed has an extremely complete technical background: capable of scoring inside and outside the area with continuity, as well as being decisive in the defensive half of the court and in the rebounding battle.
“I’m thrilled to join a historic club like Cantù – admitted the new Lombardi’s acquisition -I’m coming back to Italy for my second experience in Serie A and I can’t wait to play with my new teammates and experience the atmosphere created by our fans during games…I’ve been told they are incredible! We have an exciting season ahead of us and I am ready to take the field, soon we will start!””.
“As a first thing, I want to thank Sandro for the way he handled this long negotiation – the words of coach Nicola Brienza -. A due thank you also goes to the club, President Allievi and all the members of the CDA, who allowed us to bring Sneed to Cantù. For me and for Santoro, he is the player who completes our team idea and integrates perfectly with the rest of the roster. Xavier already knows our league, after his experience in Brindisi in 2023/24, and he also did very well last year in Israel. We are confident that he will make a major impact and become a reference point for me and all the teammates, so we are extremely happy to welcome him”.
After also playing American football with excellent results, at the age of seventeen he chose to devote himself exclusively to basketball. His excellent performance at Hazelwood Central High School attracted the attentions of several top colleges. Among several offers on the table, Sneed chose the one from prestigious Kansas State University. At the end of four years in the NCAA under the able guidance of coach Bruce Weber, he declares for the 2020 NBA Draft on the strength of a 14.2-point average season. However, he is not selected by any franchise, thus deciding to start his career from the G-League, signing with the Greensboro Swarm. His first professional year ends with an average of 8 points per game. After a fleeting experience in Canada with the Niagara River Lions, he returns again to Greensboro, where he rises in performance, surpassing the double-digit average. His performance convinced the Memphis Grizzlies to offer him a temporary 10-day contract, allowing him to make his NBA debut. In February he signed with the Utah Jazz, with whom he played 7 games, before finishing the season with the franchise’s G-League affiliate at an average of 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He begins the following season for the third consecutive time in Greensboro, where he records 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game averages. This time it is Charlotte that offers him a contract. With the Hornets he plays 12 games, scoring 4.3 points on average. In the 2023-24 season he chooses to move to Europe, signing with Brindisi. His impact with the LBA was exceptional, so much so that he finished the year averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, making him the sixth best scorer in the league. Last season he played in Israel at Bnei Herzliya, with whom he scored 17.8 points per game.
