Nate Snodgrass

JOHNSTOWN — Nate Snodgrass has found a home at last.

The 2012 Butler graduate is fitting in quite nicely, thank you, as the starting point guard for the Pitt-Johnstown basketball team. UPJ marks the sophomore's third collegiate stop.

A four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer at Butler, Snodgrass originally signed with the Naval Academy before playing at Northern Kentucky last season.

“It's nice being able to play at places so close to home, so family and friends can get out to see the games,” Snodgrass said of competing in the PSAC.

They've been seeing a pretty good show, too — with Snodgrass at the head of it.

The Mountain Cats are 5-2 thus far, 2-0 in the PSAC West, and host Slippery Rock University on Saturday.

“We competed for better than a half at IUP and they're the heavy favorite to win the West,” Snodgrass said. “We're showing we can compete favorably in this league.

“My goal is to win a PSAC championship. We came close to the WPIAL title in high school and never got it. I want to feel what it's like to be a champion.”

In the aforementioned Indiana game, a 76-62 loss, Snodgrass attempted only five shots.

“I talked to him about that after the game,” UPJ coach Bob Rukavina said. “Nate is very capable of scoring and I told him he needed to look for his shot a little more.

“He's an extremely unselfish player, definitely a pass-first type of point guard.”

In UPJ's next game, Snodgrass struck for a collegiate career-best 25 points against Edinboro. This past Wednesday at Clarion, he scored 18 points, sinking all eight of his free throws.

“Our shooting guard struggled against Clarion, sinking only two of 12 shots,” Rukavina said. “Nate picked up the slack. That's what he can do for us.”

The 6-foot-1 Snodgrass is averaging 31 minutes, 9.6 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He's hitting 86 percent at the line, sinking 18 of 21.

“Teams play me differently,” Snodgrass said. “Some leave me open to shoot the ball, others don't. I don't pick and choose that way.”

Rukavina is in his 25th season at UPJ and has coached Snodgrass for seven games. The coach needs three more wins to reach 400 in his career.

He already rates Snodgrass among the top three point guards he's ever coached.

“Nate plays with his head up all of the time. His basketball IQ is off the charts. His IQ in the classroom is up there, too,” Rukavina said.

Snodgrass is carrying a 4.0 grade point average as an accounting major.

“They had me playing at two-guard quite a bit at Northern last year,” Snodgrass said. “I feel more at home at the point. I'm back in my comfort zone.”

And it's showing.

“This is our first year in the PSAC and he could lead us to the championship,” Rukavina said. “Does he fit in well with this team? He's the perfect fit.”