NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Will 2020 G Anthony Leal pick Indiana or Stanford?

Top-100 NCAA Basketball recruit Anthony Leal is down to a pair of teams. Which of them will land the talented class of 2020 shooting guard?

One of the top NCAA Basketball class of 2020 prospects in the state of Indiana is close to making a possible decision on his home for the 2020-21 season. Anthony Leal, ranked in the top-100 overall according to 247sportsCompostite has narrowed down a list of potential suitors to both the Stanford Cardinal and the Indiana Hoosiers.

At 6’5 and 200 pounds, Leal has good size to play both the two and three-spots on the court. He’s known best as a shooter, particularly from three-point range. His quality play in recent AAU sessions have made him a high priority recruit for both finalists and will be a much-needed addition to a pair of programs trying to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

Here’s a look at where Leal would stand with either program if he chooses to commit:

Indiana Hoosiers

There’s big-time mutual interest between both the Bloomington native and a team who was ranked in the 300’s in three-point shooting percentage this past season. The only two-guard projected to be on the roster by the time Leal arrives is Aljami Durham, a solid role player who averaged 8.3 ppg. In the current 2019 recruiting class, three-star Armaan Franklin is the only guard commit. It’s clear that Archie Miller and Indiana will be going after other guards in the 2020 and would get off to a great start with Leal’s commitment.

The allure of playing for the hometown team is going to be tough to beat and barring a five-star wing joining the fold, there’s a clear pathway for Leal to get immediate and ultimately plenty of playing time overall for Indiana. The Hoosiers seems to be the team to beat – so they can’t let him slip out of their grasps.

Stanford Cardinal

This was a team with a more crowded perimeter entering this offseason. But that changed for Stanford when freshman guard Cormack Ryan elected to transfer to Notre Dame. For the projected 2020-21 roster, that leaves point guard Daejon Davis and combo guard Bryce Willis, a potential breakout candidate as a sophomore. Also joining is four-star class of 2019 commit Tyrell Terry, whom Leal is familiar with.

As for why Leal could choose the Cardinal, it’s the educational aspect. Emphasized by his parents growing up and throughout his recruitment process, Stanford is arguably the best academic institution that also offers a great chance at competing at the highest level (sorry Ivy League schools). Indiana is no slouch when it comes to academics but it simply can’t compare to arguably the top academic program out west.

What this likely comes down to is what is Leal’s No. 1 factor when it comes to choosing a school, since both programs mirror each other on the court. If it’s about playing close to home for a prestigious program, the Hoosiers should be able to win out. But if it really is all about academics, maybe the Cardinal can pull off the recruiting upset after all. There’s no set date and the announcement won’t change the landscape in NCAA Basketball. But for a pair of programs looking to get back on track, landing Leal is big. We’ll see who can pull if off between the two.