Dec. 6, 2007

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - When people look at USC Upstate center Nick Schneiders, it's easy to see why he is one of the most recognizable athletes on campus. A native of Germany standing at a towering 7' 2", Schneiders is the tallest player in the history of Upstate basketball and has become a fan favorite at home games.

After averaging 8.8 minutes and 2.1 points per game in 21 games last season, Schneiders has played a bigger role this season with six starts in seven games, averaging 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He has scored a career-high 11 points twice this season with his best performance so far this season coming at UNC Greensboro on November 24 where he scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked three shots. What makes Schneiders' development as a player more remarkable is that he has only been playing basketball for four years.

Recently, Schneiders sat down with Adam Walker of upstatespartans.com to talk about the team, being 7' 2" and his game.

US.com: How do you feel about the team's performance so far this season?
Nick Schneiders: Obviously, we would like to have a win so far, but it's going to happen. We've played decent, showed good effort and we're going to get there sooner rather than later.

US.com: How would you rate your performance so far?
NS: I think I've been on and off. I've had a couple of good games and a couple of bad games. I'm still getting used to the whole college basketball experience. It's my sophomore year basketball wise and I still have a lot to learn. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my performance and it's getting there.

US.com: What was the best part of traveling to Alaska earlier this season?
NS: Seeing the landscape of Alaska. I had never been there and I've always read about it. The dog sledding was pretty good. I went out one day and they showed us how to dog sled.

US.com: What is one of the best things about being 7' 2"?
NS: I guess one of the best things is that everyone knows who you are just because you're really tall.

US.com: What is one of the toughest things about being 7' 2"?
NS: Everyone knows your name. It can be a good thing and a bad thing. Everyone knows what you are doing and if you do something wrong, everyone knows it. And, of course, it's hard to find cars, couches and beds that fit you. It's hard to hide.

US.com: Do you feel like kids gravitate to you because of your height?
NS: I think so. Kids are really amazed when they see me because they don't hold back. They just go to whatever intrigues them. They come to me, talk to me and tell me that they've never seen anyone as tall as me before. That's cool because I like kids. They're nice to me and I'm nice to them. I always have fun whenever I'm around kids.

US.com: Who is the funniest player on the team?
NS: Rory Spencer has some pretty good jokes, so I would have to say that Rory is the real comedian of the team.

US.com: What is it like playing for head coach Eddie Payne?
NS: I can't really tell you how it is playing for any other coach except Coach Payne because he's one of my first coaches. I had one in Germany, but he was more like my buddy. We played together, but he wasn't really my coach so Coach Payne is really my first coach. I love him. He's awesome, he's taught me a lot and he brought me over to the states. I think he's a great coach.

US.com: One of your hobbies is designing posters and you are a graphic design major. Why did you choose graphic design?
NS: I was always interested in the design of things including the graphical aspects of magazines and even television and video games. I wanted to do something in that direction and that's why chose graphic design.

US.com: You've only been playing basketball for just four years. Can you see the differences in your play from when you started to now?
NS: Definitely. When I came here, I couldn't even make a lay-up, but now I can. I've learned so much basketball during that time and had more experience as well. My skills have improved because of that. It's tremendous how far I've come, but I've still got a long road to go.