Prospect Profile: Leon Bond, Wisconsin’s Highest-Rising Sophomore
Me: Is there anything you think people should know about you as a player or a person? “I don’t know,” Leon Bond told me, “I just love to hoop.” And for the class of 2022 forward, loving basketball has spurred…
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Continue ReadingMe: Is there anything you think people should know about you as a player or a person?
“I don’t know,” Leon Bond told me, “I just love to hoop.”
And for the class of 2022 forward, loving basketball has spurred me to publish my second laudatory write-up in the past week. The Prep Hoops Wisconsin staff as a whole has peddled his potential ad nauseum. Stock riser has accompanied his name in countless tweets. And if I’m embarking on a long term prediction for him, then I can chalk him up as a division one talent. It’s high praise, but also rightful.
His laundry list of skills consists of innate defensive prowess and a budding offensive toolset. Last season, Bond was second on the Wauwatosa East roster in blocks and got his hands on a few steals. With a steep uptick in minutes during the grassroots season, he controlled that end with and 6-foot-5 frame and arms that, when outstretched in a defensive stance, seem to occlude any passing lanes. That size denotes versatility on both ends, but defensively he can switch screens, match the size of opposing posts, and engulf ball handlers on the perimeter.
On offense, there’s the undeniable stench of a potential all-around skillset. At the Hard Work Finals, he flashed a nice jump shot, an almost unguardable pursuit of the rim, and elite athleticism on a fastbreak dunk. Flaws appear nitpicky but his ceiling on that end remains high. As far as areas he focuses on improving regularly, Bond said, “I work on my shot a lot with my trainers and working on a higher more advanced skill set.”
At Wauwatosa East last season, Bond averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, though his production was geared more towards transition and fastbreak offense. When asked about his strengths, Bond addressed that, telling me, “I think I can get to the rim when I want and the way I run in transition.” But, he also said he wants to expand on that role. “I started on varsity my freshman year, but I didn’t have a major role so I guess for next season just like the go-to option.”
However, there’s a slight caveat. I expect it to be addressed, but Bond’s emergence in the offense requires aggressiveness to the extent of what he showed last weekend. He only shot 4.3 times per game as a freshman, which was the fifth most attempts on the team. I made a note of his activity on offense during the summer, and I fully anticipate that carrying over into the school season, though it’s a requirement for the forward to have a breakout year.
Colleges have contacted Bond’s coaches for film and he’s been receiving more invites to camps as of late. “I think the recruiting process is just beginning for me,” said Bond. Even at a young age, expect his recruitment to start gaining traction during this school season and pick up the pace next summer.