Indiana Basketball: Recruiting class 2020 break down: Anthony Leal
By Zach Breton
What Will Anthony Leal bring to IU?
Leal will walk onto Indiana’s campus with a winning mentality and spirit. Something that he holds close to heart. According to coaches and his parents, Leal’s most outstanding traits are his work ethic and leadership skills. Leal is undoubtedly going to be an excellent presence for Indiana in the locker room.
On the court, Leal probably won’t be the star attraction, however, he is going to bring a skill set that is much-needed for this team and one that will make him invaluable. Leal is a 6’5″, 200 lbs shooting guard/small forward.
He is not an explosive athlete such as Jordan Geronimo, however, he plays with great strength and hustle. Leal’s strengths lie in his shooting and playmaking. He shot 37% from three-point range this past year and hit some very clutch shots from deep on the year. He is also widely credited for having a great basketball IQ and functions well as a secondary playmaker.
He will start his Indiana career on the bench but with Al Durham and Justin Smith leaving after next year, I would expect him to break into the starting lineup his sophomore or junior year. Leal will be a solid four-year player for the Hoosiers and I expect him to make significant contributions to many future successful Indiana teams.
Pro-Player Comparison: Gordon Hayward
An NBA player that has a similar game to Anthony Leal is Gordon Hayward. On the Celtics, coached by Hayward’s former Butler coach, Brad Stevens, he plays a crucial role in the offense. Hayward is the secondary playmaker for the Celtics and is often used to coming off screens to create plays for his teammates or for himself, additionally, he is also utilized as a three-point shooter.
Hayward also provides leadership for the Celtics off the court and is someone young players (such as Romeo Langford) look up to. Hayward plays a very similar role for the Celtics that I expect to see Leal play. Leal will be able to take the ball out of Rod Phinisee or Khristian Lander’s hands and make plays for himself and others when needed.
Next. Is Isiah Thomas underrated?. dark
Leal was born to be a Hoosier and in six short months, he will be pulling on the candy-striped pants on before running out during Hoosier Hysteria. Over the next four years, Leal will prove to be a player that deserves to be named with Jordan Hulls and Jared Jeffries.