BUTLER TWP — He's listed at 6-foot-1 on the roster, probably an exaggeration.

When it comes to Butler basketball lore, senior point guard Nate Snodgrass is a giant.

And that's no exaggeration.

“I know he doesn't have the WPIAL championships and section titles other players may have gotten,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “But Nate may be the best basketball player to ever walk through these doors.

“He's a real point guard, ready-made and ready to go — the best point guard in the WPIAL, bar none.”

Snodgrass became the seventh Butler boys basketball player to eclipse 1,000 points last Tuesday, striking for a career-high 42 against North Allegheny in a must-win situation for his team.

Shawn Bellis is the Golden Tornado's all-time scoring leader with 1,466 points. Mark Maier, Kevin McGarrah, Jaron Hilovsky, Tyrell Sales and Bobby Swartwout are the other 1,000-point producers.

Snodgrass averaged nine points per game his junior year, grabbing a boatload of assists by setting up Swartwout inside.

“He helped Bobby get his 1,000, now he got 1,000 himself,” Clement said, shaking his head. “I didn't think he would get there. If he wasn't so unselfish, he'd be pushing Bellis for the top spot on the list. I've been after Nate to shoot the ball more for three years now.”

Snodgrass has accumulated 305 assists during that three-year stretch.

“Playing with a point guard like that makes everyone else's offensive game that much better,” Butler junior guard-forward Luke Hartung said. “He sets everybody up.

“Nate practically hands you your shot.”

Being a playmaker has always come naturally to Snodgrass. Being a scorer? Not so much.

Yet he's among the top point-producers in Butler County this season, averaging 20.8 points per game while draining 15 treys.

“Reaching 1,000 points was never my goal,” Snodgrass said. “Helping this team win games is all I want to do. This year, I had to score more.

“I'm honored to get 1,000, though. Not many guys have done that here.”

When it comes to shooting free throws, Snodgrass has been nearly flawless. He has made 42 of his last 45 foul shots and has missed just seven free throws in his last eight games.

With the ball in his hands 80 percent of the time Butler has possession, he creates a nightly dilemma for the opposition.

Snodgrass tallied 25 points and seven assists in a recent 50-38 win at North Hills.

“We tried running different people at him, we switched to a zone and he hit a couple of 3's ... What are you gonna do? He's unflappable,” North Hills coach Buzz Gabos said of Snodgrass.

Snodgrass began his senior season with a 31-point, eight-assist performance in a 63-52 victory at Penn Hills.

“It hasn't been that hard adapting my game,” Snodgrass said. “I had the whole off-season to work on my shot. I'm used to drawing double-teams, but that just opens up the floor.”

Penn Hills coach Jim Rocco was immediately impressed by Snodgrass.

“He may be the best point guard we'll see all year,” Rocco said. “You try to deny him the ball, but he's so tough to guard.”

Among the colleges Snodgrass is honing in on right now include the Naval Avademy, Duquesne, Washington & Lee and Division II Bentley (Mass.).

The number of schools interested in him may significantly increase soon.

“When I send out this (42 points vs. NA) tape, schools are going to be all over him,” Clement said. “Plenty of them are on him as it is.

“The Naval Academy really wants him. Duquesne's interest is picking up.”

Snodgrass said Duquesne is his No. 1 choice right now.

“I'm not sure how much they're interested, but I'd love to play there, stay close to home,” he said. “I'm interested in the Naval Academy, too.”

Besides his own play on the court, Snodgrass has served as a mentor to younger guards on Butler's roster, particularly freshman Keenan Krause.

“Nate is a tremendous leader, a tremendous influence ... just a good kid, Clement said. “All of that is in addition to his skills as a player.

“Whatever school winds up with him ... They're getting a steal, an absolute steal.”