July 3, 2011
Markel Leonard is a rising junior who played a role in Salesian's 36-2 non-forfeited record. This point guard averaged 6 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal per game while helping the Pride advance to the state DIV championship game where they lost to Winward 63-57.
At 5-foot-11 and 163 pounds, Leonard was a key member on the Salesian rotation as he often came off the bench to spell or to complement nationally recruited 2012 point guard Dominic Artis. Leonard easily could be the starting point guard at most other programs.
Salesian Pride Coach Bill Mellis says, "Markel has developed and progressed just as we have expected him to while he has been on varsity. He has a tremendous work ethic and an enthusiasm for the game. Last season as a sophomore, he was a backup guard for our team and this year, if he continues to grow as a player, he will get even more time and be in a position to compete for a starting spot. Regardless, he will very much be in our rotation. He has been getting some interest from various colleges, with the most interest coming from Santa Clara University."
Despite having to come off the bench, college programs recognize his potential. The current schools that are in contact with him include Cal Poly, Denver, Loyola Marymount, Oregon State, Pacific, Pepperdine, Penn, Portland, University of San Francisco, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and Washington State.
During this summer, Leonard will be playing with his Norcal Supreme 16U club team. He plans to work on his court vision, being a floor general/being more vocal, vertical/leaping ability, on ball defense, rebounding, and getting stronger in addition to his shooting and ball handling. Leonard will have workouts at Salesian 3-4 days a week plus his own workouts after the Salesian workouts that include shooting, dribbling, and passing. Leonard will be lifting weights four-five times a week that includes a lot of squats and calf raises to increase his leaping ability. On a daily basis, Leonard jogs 1-2 miles to increase his endurance and stamina.
Norcal Supreme Coach Glen Graham comments on what he wants Leonard to work on, "Trying to get him to better understand the importance of the point guard position, being more vocal, team leader, and playing under control. Markel is doing better than I expected on the circuit. We're 11-2 on the season so far. He's starting to take more of a leadership role during games becoming more of a coach on the floor. Sky's the limit for him as he's by far one of the better players on the team."
By the end of the summer, Leonard will have participated in the NorCal Summer TipOff (San Francisco) Fab 48 (Las Vegas), Best of Summer (Anaheim), and Adidas Three Stripes Tournament (Los Angeles). On his own, he will attend the UC Riverside Elite Camp, Pacific Elite Camp, and University of Portland Elite Camp. Due to scheduling constraints, he will not make the University of Denver Elite Camp and University of Pennsylvania Elite Camp.
Watch for Leonard to lead his Pride in Richmond during this upcoming season.
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