Meyers Leonard

[tornado]

Meyers Leonard is a superb basketball player...
he helped carry his team to the State Title...and as well as his teammates played, there's little dispute they couldn't have won without him!!
Is there even the tiniest doubt that not a single basketball program in the nation would turn the guy away?

Yet as I was watching last night - (same thing happened Friday, too) at least 4 or 5 times the broadcasters started back up discussing the guy's negatives...
calling him immature and unable to control his emotions, letting himself get distracted, and repeatedly saying the kid needs to improve this or that...etc...
I can see maybe saying it once or twice, but do they need to drag out at least 2 or 3 negatives for every positive thing they say about the kid??
It's not like he slugged anyone, and I think he handled the intense "harrassment" (those were Derrick Booth's own words on what their game plan was vs. Leonard)..and if anything, he played well under heavy pressure and did not foul out like many of the Manual starters...


I am sure every player needs to improve...but what is it with their compulsion to have to rehash negatives time and again, constantly taking one of the best basketball players in the state and talking repeatedly about all the improvement he needs and all the faults he has..
I don't recall a single similar comment about the negatives even one of the Manual players....

But then, I read the paper this morning...more rehashing of the kid's issues.....a large part of two columns devoted to it..

"needs to learn to check his emotions"
"grew frustrated"
"If Leonard had been a dirty bomb at that point, every fan in the building would be dead" (huh?)
then several more paragraphs about how the guy has issues and was a loose cannon...

Then I turned the page, and saw another half page story about Meyers Leonard, written by Ben Diggle...
and he's got more of the same....
"..he takes plays off.."
"he hasn't dominated small-school competition.."
...then even more paragraphs on the same stuff about how he needs to grow up...

They knock off the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the state in back to back games to win the Championship
...consider giving them some props!



and what the hey is with the comment about Andrew Jones??

[jasonpeoria911]

Leonard was pretty impressive from what I saw. Considering they were playing in the Champ. game and the D was hounding him the whole time. Something like 17 points, 16 boards and 5 blocks, not to shabby. He does seem to get aggravated easily and looks like he needs to gain a few pounds for the battles of the Big 10. Kind of reminds me of Bill Cole.

Jason

[Buesch N Chips]

The kid seems like one of those players that opponents love to hate. He needs to grow up a little, needs to stop the melodrama on the court, and he'll be fine. He's lucky he didn't get T'd up the championship game at least once. He's not likable, and as a result people say bad stuff about him.

[tornado]

I watched all four games yesterday, eight really good teams, and of course 95% of the play was commendable...

..but as would be expected, there were still quite a few sloppy passes, behind the back moves that resulted in turnovers, silly fade-away, turnaround jumpers that drew no iron, and wildly swinging arms that were attempting to block shots from behind and always get whistled as fouls...etc...

Why does KW have to dwell at all on the negatives??
Meyers could well have been a whole lot of peoples' MVP....so say a little positive about the kid....

I enjoyed all the games, none of them put me to sleep...yet there was this comment in the column as well...
"After a weekend of basketball Sominex,...so sloppily played as to make purists avert their eyes and wish that hibernation till next season were an option..."



but one more thing.....can someone interpret this statement in the Wessler column...
"Manual’s Andrew Jones scored 18 points in the first half alone and finished with 25"

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x313364192/Wessler-Class-2A-championship-was-a-game-to-remember

For those who want to read more about Meyers that is quite positive,
there are other options...
this one's a really nice article..

http://yourseason.suntimes.com/2101603,031310-boys-basketball-robinson-leonard.article

http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/2010/03/leonard_better_than_cross.html#more

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0314-prep-bkb-2a-state-sider-20100313,0,3719228.story

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0313-prep-bkb-2a-state-semi-2-20100312,0,4101995.story

http://herald-review.com/app/blogs/preps/?p=528

[Out of Balance]

He's a kid who is only a junior in HS He lost his Dad at 6 and was raised by his mom and older brother (who is fighting in a war right now). He just played and won two of the biggest games a HS player could be in In front of the largest crowd, in the largest place he and his teammates have ever played in He was the center of attractions by all the fans, media and opposing teams! He just played his team to a state championship despite being literally attacked by the opposing teams He didn't foul out of a game, never got a T and did not get ejected from one. So he showed a little emotion What the Hell He's a kid, for gods sack, 16,17 years old, people What the Hell is the matter with people to write and talk crap about a kid, who did everything right, nothing wrong and was under pressure and the magnifying glass this week-end Geeeeee's What the Hell Come on people

[Buesch N Chips]

I thought the 1A games were sloppy for a state championship tourney, so I agree with KW somewhat on that. 2A was fine.

[thefish7]

I actually thought he was a real punk last night. A good player, but I can think of about 5 different things that would have gotten him a T in college during the championship game-- and another 5 that would have gotten him warned. He will really need to clean it up in college, D1 refs aren't going to put up with it. He'll also need to figure out that if he thinks the manual kids were rough or getting in his hear it'll be much much worse in college. Given the crap he was pulling I thought the manual kids were really disciplined. He is a good talent and I hope he can get his head straight but...

[Beninator]

As long as KW uses these types of comments in his articles, he will remain a below average journalist. On the other hand, I was watching the game on TV last night, and I have to honestly say that I had the same impression about Leonard's attitude. IMO, the kid has limitless potential and is one of the best HS 7 footers that I have seen, but he needs to work on controlling his emotions. (side note---I don't follow HS basketball closely) If he displays the same type of attitude that I saw last night, Mr Leonard will find his arse planted on the floor numerous times in the Big Ten! I also think that Leonard was extremely lucky that he was not T'ed by the referees on a couple of occasions last night. He has to be smarter than that considering he had 3 fouls on him during one of his outbursts! Between Leonard and Jereme Richmond, Bruce Webber will have a lot of attitude on his team next year!

[Beninator]

Given the crap he was pulling I thought the manual kids were really disciplined.

Completely agree

[mrcoachdude]

I started out rooting for manual and will always root for our home team...but thought manual played pretty tough against Robinson.....saw a few trips and undercuts at the big guy....that would frustrate me too....so I guess the game plan worked for Manual against the big kid....

WOW did #5 show out BIG....was his name Hannahs?

Thought Manual got ripped on calls in OT ......but the officials were difficult to figure the whole game....

Coachdudes top 2A players for the tourney:

Hannahs - Robinson
Alexander - Manual
# 50 on Breeze although 22 was good as well
M Jordan - Manual
Leonard - Robinson

Hannahs is my MVP

[ph]

The primary message of the IHSA is Attitude. Meyers did not reflect that ideal, at all.

However, I like that edge. Wanting the ball is a very, very good thing for a rebounder and shot-blocker.

I wish we had a tall, skinny shot-blocker with a bad attitude. Wait, we do, we just refuse to play AT.

[OrangeandBlack74]

I started out rooting for manual and will always root for our home team...but thought manual played pretty tough against Robinson.....saw a few trips and undercuts at the big guy....that would frustrate me too....so I guess the game plan worked for Manual against the big kid....

WOW did #5 show out BIG....was his name Hannahs?

Thought Manual got ripped on calls in OT ......but the officials were difficult to figure the whole game....

Coachdudes top 2A players for the tourney:

Hannahs - Robinson
Alexander - Manual
# 50 on Breeze although 22 was good as well
M Jordan - Manual
Leonard - Robinson

Hannahs is my MVP

Agree with Hannahs as MVP. They don't win the tournament without him. Also, I thought Jones (#23) for Robinson was pretty darn good!

I think you mean Andrew Jordan rather than Marvin Jordan for Manual, right?

Leonard is a terrific player, but he and his coach should have both been T'd up last night. Outrageous emotional outbursts from both. Leonard just needs to play the game and keep his mouth shut.

Props to the Robinson fans. We were sitting very near the Robinson section, and there was not a cuss word to be heard (despite all the bad calls). Class group, and a student section to be proud of!

[tornado]

... Given the crap he was pulling I thought the manual kids were really disciplined.....

I think you missed some things then...
why did M. Jordan reach for the ball in Meyers' hands after the whistle blew and try to grab it away??
(thus the announcers used that moment to heap criticism on Leonard when it was Manual's M. Jordan who initiated the incident)

Why every single time a Robinson kid was standing at the FT line to shoot, at least one of the Manual kids walked to a spot on the lane via the circle and while going by the FT-er, cracked a hard shoulder into him, and why every time a Robinson kid drove the lane, a Manual kid gave him a hard foul - resulting in the lopsided foul counts...?
I think all the AAU experience the Manual kids had - hurt them in this game because they kept trying the cheap moves, the hard contact, and the trashy stuff that goes on all the time in AAU games & games with running clocks - and never gets called...
I actually think the Manual kids' discipline ended up costing the game, while the Robinson kids - who had FAR, FAR, FAR less overall talent from one end of the bench ot the other - just kept playing and playing and beat the better team yesterday...

[Out of Balance]

I actually thought he was a real punk last night. A good player, but I can think of about 5 different things that would have gotten him a T in college during the championship game-- and another 5 that would have gotten him warned. He will really need to clean it up in college, D1 refs aren't going to put up with it. He'll also need to figure out that if he thinks the manual kids were rough or getting in his hear it'll be much much worse in college. Given the crap he was pulling I thought the manual kids were really disciplined. He is a good talent and I hope he can get his head straight but...

Real Punk The Real Punks I know are behind barrs and ones that are not are running to keep from it Most kids have attitudes And most will grow up and out of them. Keep in mind he is only 16/17 years old If he does in fact, have a trouble, lets hope with some insight from the right people, he will see the light and grow out of it Because he has a very bright future in front of him Take care friend

[bert notorius]

You guys would sign him in a New Jersey minute.

New York.

I meant New York.