Louisville basketball: The most underrated players of the 21st century

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 20: Wayne Blackshear #25 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates after defeating the UC Irvine Anteaters during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyArena on March 20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 20: Wayne Blackshear #25 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates after defeating the UC Irvine Anteaters during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyArena on March 20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
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Quentin Snider, Louisville basketball
LOUISVILLE, KY – FEBRUARY 17: Quentin Snider #4 of the Louisville Cardinals shoots the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the game at KFC YUM! Center on February 17, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Quentin Snider

Career Stats: 9.2 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.3 RPG

Quentin Snider is another player who never got the opportunity to truly get the praise he deserved.

Snider was an integral member of some solid Louisville squads, but ultimately his excellent play was overshadowed by some of the worst times for Cardinals fans. His freshman season, he steadied the Cards en route to a fantastic elite eight run. He took over the reins for a probable no. 1 seed Louisville team that ultimately had to miss the postseason because of self-imposed bans.

He was excellent in Louisville’s next season where he helped guide the Cards to a No. 2 seed in the tournament. Then, in his senior year, Snider helped keep the Cards composed under David Padgett in the most unfortunate of circumstances.

All in all, Snider started 98 games for the Cards in his four years, including every single game in his final two seasons.

Snider may not receive the recognition he deserved because of the circumstances of his final season, but also because of his style of play. He was never an in-your-face, high risk, high reward type of player like Cards fans had become accustomed to.

However, Snider was a steady and calming presence through a number of difficult seasons. His assist numbers increased each season, and he truly became a well-rounded player, shooting nearly 42 percent from three-point range in 2018.

We should all appreciate “Q” for who he really was in his time for Louisville basketball: a hometown hero.