Indiana Basketball: Breaking down the 2020 recruiting class
Anthony Leal – Bloomington, IN
SG | 6-foot-5 | 195 lbs | No. 133 overall
With the commitment of Anthony Leal, the Hoosiers have now landed Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in each of the last three years (Trayce Jackson-Davis and Romeo Langford were the previous two). The 6-foot-5 shooting guard won the award after guiding Bloomington South to a sensational season in which the team was 27-0 before the season was shut down.
Leal solidified himself as a Top 150 prospect in the class and will be facing high expectations as a hometown product fresh off a decorated high school career.
In terms of his playing style, Leal is hardwired to be an impact scorer as a perimeter threat, slasher, or pull-up shooter. Additionally, he brings solid size to the wing with a 6-foot-5 frame and he should be able to physically hold his own in the Big Ten early in his career. This will be particularly important on the defensive end, where he will need to impress in order to see immediate playing time.
He was a solid defender in AAU but will not boast the same physical advantages when making the leap to the Big Ten. Learning Indiana’s defensive scheme and developing strong instincts on that end of the floor will be crucial in his development.
Most importantly, though, Leal projects as an excellent shooter at the collegiate level. Considering Indiana shot just 32.6 percent from beyond the arc as a team during this past season, it is no secret that the team could use another perimeter threat or two.
Counting on a freshman to come in and immediately torch the nets can sometimes backfire, but Leal has been highly-regarded as a shooter for some time. It feels like a safe bet that he can hit his fair share of trifectas even against faster and more intelligent defenses.
With Khristian Lander now joining Indiana’s recruiting class (and Phinisee returning), Leal will likely play exclusively on the wing early in his career but he was a solid secondary creator at the high-school level. If he is able to get into the lane with either his ball-handling or, more likely, by attacking closeouts, that skill could translate to the next level.