10 Questions with Men's Basketball Player Nick Schneiders
10/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 22, 2009
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - USC Upstate men's basketball player Nick Schneiders is entering his final season in a Spartan uniform. The 7-foot-3 center from Reitberg, Germany currently is the all-time leader in blocked shots average (per game) for a career at 1.4. He also ranks second in shots blocked in a career with 117 and needs just 20 blocks to become the all-time Upstate leader.
In the 2008-09 season, the senior center averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg. For his career, Schneiders has appeared in 81 games over three seasons and recorded 379 rebounds. He needs just 54 rebounds to move into the top 15 for rebounds in a career.
Schneiders and the rest of his Spartan teammates will begin their 2009-10 campaign when they travel to Lincoln, Neb. to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Nov. 14. They will open the home portion of their schedule when they host UNC Greensboro at the Hodge Center on Nov. 24.
Schneiders recently sat down with Alex Edwards of upstatespartans.com to discuss the upcoming season as well as his plans for the future.
Over the summer, you served as an intern in the Upstate athletic media relations office, describe what that experience was like for you.
It was an interesting experience for me. Bill English serves as the men's basketball contact so I have been around him a lot, but working for him was different. I enjoy doing graphic design so it was good experience for me to work with the media relations office this summer.
What was the deciding factor that brought you to Upstate from Germany?
I wanted to be able to study here in the United States and improve my English, which was my main focus. Upstate as well as a few other schools offered that opportunity to me on top of playing collegiate basketball. The weather here was a significant plus compared to a few other schools. Also Coach Payne visited me in Germany so that was another positive that led me to choose Upstate.
With the season tipping off in a little more than three weeks, what are the expectations of the team this season?
Obviously we want to do better than we did last season. This is our third year in Division I and we have improved each year since moving up to D-I and we feel we can do that again. Our goal is to finish in the top half of the conference this season.
You had artwork displayed at the 2009 NCAA convention as well as this year's Indy 500, how special was it to have your artwork displayed at these events?
It was pretty interesting because I have never really pictured myself as much of an artist, I consider myself a designer. It was the first time that something I had created was on display and that was a very good feeling. It's pretty neat because not many individuals get to experience something like that.
What has been your most memorable moment as a student-athlete here at Upstate? Why?
That is a tough question, but I would probably have to go with my first practice here. I wasn't the greatest athlete in the world so it was difficult at times to figure out exactly what the coaches expected out of me as well as what they were saying sometimes, since I was still lacking a firm grip on the English language.
What games on the 2009-10 basketball schedule are you most looking forward to competing in the most?
Lipscomb and I know that may sound crazy with some of the teams will are playing this season. However, they were in the top three or four in the conference last season and they had a really good big man, Adnan Hodzic and I look forward to the opportunity to compete against them this season.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I've been to Europe and America, so I would like to travel to Australia. It seems like a very interesting place and I have never been to the Southern hemisphere, so I would like to travel there.
You are entering your final season in a Spartan uniform, what are your plans after your time here is complete?
I would like to pursue a career in professional basketball. I am not sure at what level, or how high of a level I could achieve, but that is my focus. Depending on how that goes, I want to shift my focus to graphic design. At some point, I would like to open my own graphic design business.
If your teammates were to use one word to describe you, what do you think they would choose and why?
People probably expect me to say tall, but I would have to say quiet. I am quiet in the locker room as well as on the court. That probably surprises people a little bit. I think most people think I am outgoing. Whenever I meet someone new, I talk with them because they are talking with me. When I am around people that I know, I usually don't have a lot to say.
If you were able to spend the day with any athlete, who would you select and why?
I would have to go with Dirk Nowitzki since he is the only NBA player from Germany. People that I have talked with that know him, they say that he is a great guy to be around. I think it would be interesting to just talk with him about his experiences and get his views on things.
