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Ex-LexCath star Snowden transfers to UK

Another former Kentucky high school standout has decided to return home to play for Kentucky.

Keyla Snowden, a 5-foot-7 shooting guard who helped lead Lexington Catholic to three state championship games and two Sweet Sixteen titles, has been released by the University of Akron and will join Coach Matthew Mitchell's team, he said on Tuesday.

Like former Scott County star Rebecca Gray, who left North Carolina after one season, Snowden will sit out one year per NCAA rules. Both will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Mitchell recruited Snowden when he was coach at Morehead, but she opted to go to Akron instead.

Mitchell saw her play in big games and was surprised that bigger schools hadn't given her another look.

"I thought people were missing out on her at that point in time," he said. "She's going to be a tremendous addition. To get to a championship level like we want to do, you need different pieces to that. She's one of those pieces."

Not only was Snowden one of Kentucky's best players, she also comes to UK as one of the country's most prolific three-point shooters.

She broke the Zips' record for most three-pointers in a single season with 91. Snowden was among the nation's top three-point shooters, finishing the regular season sixth with 2.9 treys a game.

Snowden made just 33 fewer three-pointers than Kentucky's entire team last season. The Cats' best outside shooter, Samantha Mahoney, finished last season with 51 fewer treys than Snowden.

Snowden asked for her release from the Zips program and approached Mitchell over the summer. The former Kentucky All-Star played in pickup games with his current players and impressed them, he said.

In her one season with Akron, Snowden was named to the Mid-American Conference's All-Freshman Team.

She was third on the team in scoring with 14.2 a game, hitting 37 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the free throw line.

Mitchell knows that some may wonder if she is a Southeastern Conference-caliber player, but he knows the answer to that already.

"People may have questions about her; I don't have any," he said. "She's just one of those kids that's very deceptive. She can handle the ball. She can run the point. She's going to add great value to our basketball team."

At Catholic, Snowden won state titles her sophomore and junior seasons, including being named Sweet Sixteen Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Snowden had 1,908 career points and set two state records, including making 142 of 156 free throws in a single season (91 percent). She also owns the career mark, converting 84.7 percent of her tries. As a senior on a loaded Catholic team, Snowden averaged 19.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.9 assists.

In Snowden's four seasons at Catholic, the Knights went 130-14 and were nationally ranked for most of that period.

"She's a winner and I always thought she played with a lot of confidence and poise," Mitchell said. "That's the type of player we want here at Kentucky."

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