Just two weeks after tournament favorite New Mexico’s 68-62 loss to Harvard in the second round, Tony Snell hopped on a plane to Los Angeles to prepare for June 27’s NBA Draft.

Not only fleeing the sting of an embarrassing upset, Snell vowed to leave behind the NCAA scouting report that had branded him for the past four years at UNM: a “potential guy,” someone who has “it” — the jumper, the size, the athleticism, but hasn’t fully developed his gifts.

For the past two months, Snell has been quietly reinventing that label, shooting hundreds of three-point shots in L.A. gyms while sneaking up higher and higher in first-round mock drafts. As an underrated shooting guard, Snell could become one of the draft’s most intriguing steals.

Yet at 6-7 and 200 pounds, Snell is versatile enough to do more than score. His ballhandling skills and length on the defensive end with a near 7-foot wingspan will allow him to pester smaller guards. Though scouts have flirted with the idea of Snell at small forward, he plans to stick to his natural position as a two guard, hoping to create match-up problems for NBA opponents.

“I can play hard at every position,” Snell says. “I can dribble the ball, shoot and defend pretty well. I’ve worked on my defense, and have been able to keep up with guards. I have passion. Hopefully that’s enough to impress teams.”

Most notably, Snell finished second in shooting drills at the draft combine in Chicago with 74 percent, and second in the lane agility drill with a time of 10.36 seconds.

With perennial shooters like Ben McLemore in his class, Snell looks at every drill, practice or lifting session like it’s a Game 7 elimination duel.

“I just have a chip on my shoulder,” he says. “I have to go to these workouts and compete against the elite players, and we are all fighting for that number one spot, so I have the mindset to compete as hard as I can and be dominant in everything I do.

“I just want that one opportunity from that one team to show my true skills.”

When he made the decision to leave New Mexico a year early, some felt his skills still weren’t NBA-ready, and that he needed more time to develop physically. They again saw his potential after he led the Lobos with 64 three-pointers made, but didn’t see the potential gain in testing pro waters.