Feb. 3, 2008

RUSTON - Big numbers are nothing new to JoKeirra Sneed.

After all, the Louisiana Tech senior forward said her great grandfather had 36 children.

"I have a very, very big family," Sneed said. "It's the Sneed's and the Bryant's. We're all over the place. There's a few here and a few there. I could probably see somebody, and they would probably be my cousin."

Thus, as Sneed is accustomed to big numbers in her family, Louisiana Tech fans are becoming accustomed to her big numbers on the court.

The Belle Glade, Fla., native is averaging 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, joining Hawaii's Tanya Smith as the only two players in the Western Athletic Conference averaging a double double.

In 20 games, she has registered 14 double doubles and has become Tech's most consistent offensive performer, scoring in double figures in every game but one.

"Jo has improved a lot since last year," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "She has really put in the work, and I'm just happy to see how productive she's been. She is consistent night in and night out. We need it.

"She has really improved with her back to basket. Last year we basically threw her the lob and she scored that way and by getting offensive rebounds. This year she can score with her back to the basket. She does a great job of coming out of her circle and rebounding. She is strong and really uses her body well, posting up and rebounding."

The 6-foot-2-inch Sneed has seen her role change drastically from her first year with Louisiana Tech, where she averaged 7.7 points and 5.2 rebounds off the bench after signing with the Lady Techsters out of Trinity Valley Community College.

Playing behind a couple of two-year starters in Ty Moore and Tamika Kursh allowed Sneed time to transition into the Division I game, something she said took some time.

"(Last year) was hard on me," Sneed said. "At junior college we played good teams, but it was not nearly as physical as D-1. I had to make adjustments. At first I was really nervous during games. I eventually became more comfortable. I remember having a good game against Hawaii, and they had some good size. It made me realize that I could hang on this level; that I wasn't just another player."

Long said that it was her experiences with a nationally-renowned Trinity Valley program that prepared Sneed for the next level.

"Trinity Valley has one of the best programs in the country, and they've always produced great players," Long said. "Michael Landers does a great job with preparing those kids for the Division I level. We've gotten some good players from there over the years, and Jo is definitely one of them."

With the graduation of all five starters from last year's team, including both Kursh and Moore, Sneed knew her role would change and thus she would need to improve in all areas of her game. Her off-season work allowed her to take quantum leaps offensively, and she credits the Tech coaches and her boyfriend Sam Gammel to her improvement on the block.

"I spent all summer working on my game," Sneed said. "The coaches told me I needed to work on my post moves; that I had to be able to score with my back to the basket. I'm more patient; I don't rush myself. I face up and have more post moves. I played all summer against guys. That helped."

Sneed, who is on schedule to earn her bachelor's degree in sociology in May, said she also spent a month this summer in Dermott, Ark. with Gammel, who she met at Trinity Valley Community College where they both played basketball.

"He helped me a lot," said Sneed, who started playing basketball in sixth grade. "He was the main help for me during the summer. He showed me different post moves, and I really worked on them. I did them over and over and over, and I got better."

Tech associate head coach Joni Crenshaw, who serves as the team's post coach, said Sneed has not only improved offensively, but that she has also taken over a leadership role.

"Jo has really asserted herself as this team's leader," Crenshaw said. "She has taken it upon herself to become the leader we need on and off the court."

Sneed said that she enjoys her new role on the team.

"I cherish my role this year," Sneed said. "My team depends on me, and I try my best to come through with whatever the team needs. I like the pressure. I just try to do my best. It's hard because I never want to fail my team, but I like it."

There have been very few times where Sneed has even come close to failing this year, and she has saved some of her biggest performances for Tech's biggest games.

In an early season loss to top-ranked Tennessee, Sneed scored 15 points and pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds against the huge front-line of the Lady Vols. It's those types of performances that make Long think Sneed has what it takes to play on the next level.

"I definitely think Jo is good enough to play at the next level, whether that's the WNBA or overseas," Long said. "She has good size and is very strong, and she is only getting better and better."

As long as Sneed keeps putting up big numbers, a life in professional basketball should be in the near future.