Prospect Profile

Strengths:
*Athletic
*Good shot blocker
*Solid rebounder
*Knows how to score in the post

Weaknesses:
*Had some consistency issues
*Has to get stronger

NBA projection:
Leonard’s dramatic improvement from his freshman season to his sophomore season caught the attention of NBA scouts. He’s been projected as a mid first-round pick. Leonard’s game will evolve further in the NBA because he’ll have all the time he needs to work on his game. He’s got the tools to be a solid contributor.

2011-12 Season:
Leonard made major strides in his sophomore season. He finished second on his team in scoring and was second on the Big Ten in rebounding and first in blocked shots. Leonard’s evolution was one of the few highlights in an otherwise gloomy season that resulted in the firing of coach Bruce Weber.

Key statistics:
13.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.1 tpg, 0.5 spg, 1.9 bpg, 31.8 mpg, .584 FG, .091 3PT, .732 FT

Cool statistic:
Leonard increased his scoring average 11.3 points from his freshman year to his sophomore year, second in the Big Ten behind only Penn State’s Tim Frazier (+12.3 ppg).

Reminds me of:
Brook Lopez

What Insiders Say:
Former Illinois (now Kansas State) coach Bruce Weber
"The shot blocking has become a new toy,” Weber told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He's gotten good, but he's got to learn he can't block every shot. He's got to pick his times when he has angles. Sometimes he's sitting back, waiting to block shots and not guarding his man."

What Outsiders Say:
Gonzaga center Robert Sacre
''Runs the court like a deer. He's a great player.”

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery
“He’s handful for anybody. We don’t have a big team, and he took advantage of it.”

-- Profile by Chris Dortch, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Follow him @cdortch.