Change of heart leading hoops standout Schneider back home

Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach is some paperwork away from having arguably the most recruited high school basketball team in the Grand Strand’s last decade.

On Friday, Jeff Schneider, the father of former Myrtle Beach High standout Bryce Schneider, said his son would be remaining in Myrtle Beach for his senior year. The family has started the enrollment process at Christian Academy, and if he’s accepted, it would end a busy summer that has involved not only a travel schedule that has taken him around the country, but also three high schools.

Earlier this summer, the Schneiders announced Bryce would be leaving for Laney (N.C.). However, after plenty of consideration, he wanted to stay in the immediate area.

“Myrtle Beach is home to Bryce. Bryce loves it here,” Jeff Schneider said. “He loves this community.”

If everything pans out, Christian Academy will have three players expected to be playing in the NCAA Division-I ranks very soon. In addition to Schneider, who is verbally committed to the University of Richmond, the Saints also boast rising senior Justin Busby and sophomore Michael Green.

Busby formerly attended Waccamaw, was a Class 2A All-State selection and averaged 18 points per game befoer transferred into CAMB in June. He currently has offers from VMI and Army. Green, who averaged 17.5 points, five rebounds and three assists as a freshman last year, is also starting to gain significant college interest. Green and Busby were each among The Sun News’ Toast of the Coast Boys Basketball selections last winter.

Adding Schneider, then, could be another huge boost to the area’s primary private school.

As a junior at Myrtle Beach, Schneider averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and two assists in 22 games. He helped the Seahawks to the Class 3A state playoffs, where they fell in the opening round to Darlington.

Christian Academy co-head coach Darren Gore said Friday that he was limited in what he could say about an prospective student-athlete who had yet to be formally accepted. But he did say that the outside interest from public high transfers was a credit to the team’s first nine years of play.

“I’m not real big on senior transfers. We always wanted Christian Academy to be about kids coming in [early] and being a part of our program,” Gore said. “But hopefully [the transfer interest] says a lot for the program, it’s been built the right way.”

The Saints won five SCISA Class A state titles in the team’s first seven years. They then moved up to Class 2A two seasons ago.

Christian Academy, with or without Schneider, will likely be one of the favorites to make another deep playoff run this coming year, especially with much of its home-grown talent that has come through the program ranks under Gore.

There is little dispute what having the top-end talent in one place could ultimately develop into.

“You look at the numbers out of Horry County; in 11 years there have been two Division-I guys,” Jeff Schneider said. “This year, there are six, and three of them are Christian Academy guys.”

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Change of heart leading hoops standout Schneider back home."