If he (and Cupps) can be perceived as a threat to hit threes, that should open up the interior. Cupps hit just one yesterday, but it was a big one. He has the shot, just needs the confidence.
Anthony Leal
- Thread starter TR32
- Start date
He changed his game yes but what made him a high major recruit was his shooting ability. He had great range. He was on the best high school team in the state and won state. Won mr basketball in a down year for in state talent.
2 thoughts:
1. I took the comment as a criticism of coaching decisions, not an attack on another player.
2. You’ve once again gone too far and resorted to name calling. I’d bet you don’t do a helluva lot of that in face-to-face conversations, so why do you do it so often here?
I watched him play a few times in HS. Never struck me as any kind of serious outside shooter at all. Most of his scoring came from drives or cuts to the basket. His team was solid, but they never got a chance to play for a championship. Covid year. And that made him a rather quiet Mr Basketball.
You put the period on your first sentence too soon...
"He changed his game yes but what made him a high major recruit was his shooting ability to go with his size and overall game."
He shot less than 40% from the 3 and less than 80% from the line. If he wasn't 6-5/200 lbs, a dunker type athlete, a good rebounding guard, etc... he wouldn't have sniffed high major looks. And then also, to your point, if he wasn't a good shooter, his size and overall game other than shooting, wouldn't have garnered high major looks either.
You choose to focus on the shooting...that's the common misconception with Leal...he wasn't just a shooter coming out of high school.
Seeing Leal play so well reminded me in some ways of the movie One on One with Robby Benson. In that movie Benson was a high school standout who was recruited by a big name coach. Benson didn't play much and his coach wanted to get rid of him because he didn't believe he was good enough. But Benson was needed to get in there in one game and became a star then. Afterward the coach was praising him, but Benson said that he now could go anywhere he wanted.
He was the unquestioned leader. That team had a bunch of really good, solid players. Probably had a bunch that averaged double figures... He obviously took outside shots, and he's an above average shooter. But was much more of a physical presence than most would ever imagine.
Of he and Galloway, Leal was regarded as the shooter coming into the class. Galloway couldn’t throw it in the ocean in high school
Yes. There were times I thought Cupps got muscled out of the way on those drives. Leal was more difficult for Iowa to elbow out of the way.
I don’t even know how Woodson can attempt to justify not giving him more of a chance in the past. If he couldn’t guard anyone, I would kind of understand. But he is not a bad defender. He moves his feet, positions himself well, and plays good help defense without over helping. He knows his limitations on both ends.
We have been dying for shooting - yet there he sat.
better shooter than Galloway is a far cry from talking about him as a Zeisloft or Roth as a shooter. He's a smart player, who knows what he's supposed to do and helped a ton last night. But, it's not like we've had Pat Graham sitting over their wasting away because our coach didn't know what he was doing.
He was injured for several games prior to IL, and I think even had a boot at one point.
Plus, Leal acted like he's been there before. He was the one calling the foul lane huddles.
Exactly...if he was any sort of elite level shooter, he'd have probably started at IU his whole career.
He's not...he's a good all around player. I have no idea why he was so deep on Woody's bench...seems like he played a little bit for Archie his freshman year?
No. But IU did have a respectable shooter sitting on the bench when they were desperate for one. And watching him defend reasonably well and rebound, well, it's pretty clear he should have been given more of a chance to play in games. That's my belief anyway.
Last edited:
Probably...but again, he's not wearing an IU jersey if that shooting wasn't coming from a kid that is 6'5/200lbs and has dunker type athleticism. Many people have Leal pegged only as a shooter, and he's not a "good enough" shooter for that to have been a successful role for him...like it was for Roth and Ziesloft. Maybe Woody did the same thing? I have no clue why he hasn't gotten more chances for regular minutes??
No argument on this, for sure. Just pushing back a little on his only contribution being that he's a shooter. If that's what the staff thought of him, that's why he hasn't played a ton, because he's not a good enough shooter for that role.
Questioning it myself. I think he solidifies things we've struggled with during Woody's time at IU. I've advocated sporadically for Leal to play more than he has. There was a game his freshman year at Wisconsin that has always stuck out to me. He looked like he belonged on the court size, skill, athleticism wise...when others didn't. When he was relegated to the depths on the bench that he was, I just assumed the staff had good reason for it.
Now...not so sure.
I'm not saying he shouldn't have been, but as I've mentioned, I know he was injured for several games just prior to IL... like 4 games. Think I heard it on a broadcast or Assembly Call because someone asked why he wasn't playing. I just don't want to hear folks piling on our Coach like he's had this incredible shooter sitting there all this time. He played great and was critical to the win last night and has the opportunity now that it looks like X is going to be out. He's got the size and strength to slide over and guard some 3s too, so I think he's gonna get minutes.
Just another keyboard tough guy. He wouldn't dare say that to your face.
Whos bias?? So lets let at his overall stats for the year. 45% from 2-------32% from 3 Actual in conference stats, not made up ones which I found on SRCBB are: 40% from 2-------38% from 3. I dont like stats when taken out of context, Its what hes done in an IU jersey for the year that really counts. But if you like the in conference ones to support your narrative, it sure does not look like a whole lot of improvement. Why cant you just celebrate a win without calling someone a jerk. Whats your issue?
Yep, and it didn’t hurt that his wing span seemed to extend clear across the court.
Theres also a lot of people that make up stats that are not true on this forum also
I’m pretty sure he could’ve. He had exactly the lane that he normally attacks and scores. At first I thought damn, he didn’t see it, but quickly realized he’d actually made an intelligent play. Good on him. Especially if he doesn’t get fouled and have to earn them from the line.
Never thought I see this reference, but a Great sports movie from the 70’s nonetheless!!
GD Spradlin was outstanding as the Antagonist coach, who wants to get rid of Benson, goes as far as having his goons on the team rough him up in practice to make him quit. And then after Benson wins a game tells Spradlin “up yours with a red hot poker!!! I can go anywhere I want!”
When I watched that movie I was struck by an apparent similarity of that coach to John Wooden. He came across as a nice older gentlemen during the recruiting, but that changed once practices started.
Leal has the size Kyle Hornsby had as a wing player. That team used him, used Moye, used Jeffries, as wings at different times. All very different players.
Woodson sticks to a very rigid line up and has not given much thought to Leal as a possible wing in what would be a senior vs freshman in terms of minutes.
I imagine Mgbako is better in practice and as a defender if we asked Woodson. But the numbers suggest Leal could be under utilized. Certainly in terms of shooting.
Wilkerson was a pleasure to watch. You couldn’t find a kid willing to play the role/roles he played today.
Leal has 3-4" and about 30 lbs on Cupps, and three more years experience playing against D1 players (at least in practice).
Perhaps Anthony Leal is getting better as a result of practice! Practice? I mean are we talking about practice? Come on, practice?
Similar threads
