Anthony Leal stood there, waiting, as Trey Galloway drove the basket. He knew Galloway was looking his direction. He knew it was his moment. And with the game at Ohio State on the line, he delivered.
Three pointer. 74-73, Hoosiers. Ball game over.
It’s becoming a recurring theme with Leal, these heroics. He provided similar offense in the Hoosiers’ recent win against Iowa. He kept fighting until the end in their loss to Penn State the game after. His electric defense, rangy shooting, and never-say-die attitude have made him beloved in his native Bloomington.
His stats aren’t much to write home about, but stats don’t tell the whole story. The whole story is he’s a former Indiana Mr. Basketball winner. A player with a knack for clutch shooting. Someone who so loves his Hoosiers that despite a lack of playing time and a coaching change, Leal has never once even considered the transfer portal.
This love of team and town drives Leal, and is reflected in his style of play. It’s something Indiana needs more of right now, at a point in the season where a run to the NCAA Tournament seems like a diminishing prospect. With a huge rivalry matchup coming on the road at Purdue’s Mackey Arena, Leal and his calm, confident demeanor should be front and center in Indiana’s lineup.
It’s still unknown how long Xavier Johnson is going to be out. Gabe Cupps has tremendous defensive instincts, but is raw and has yet to build his full confidence. Trey Galloway works hard and puts up good results, but needs help in the backcourt. That’s where Leal can come in.
Look at Purdue as an example. It’s not necessarily fair to compare Leal to Boiler guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, but he plays with the same attitude and style, and can be the guy to help Galloway match them Saturday night. The Boilers have become known as a team that can kill you from deep; Leal offers the possibility of a player who can actually go shot for shot with them and help keep the Hoosiers in the game.
If Leal can indeed do this, then he deserves to become a permanent fixture in the starting five the rest of the way. A revelation that forcing too many passes into the paint is Indiana’s only potential saving grace this season, and Leal knows that. When he’s on the court, he hunts for the ball, and moves from spot to spot looking to get open to shoot. He’s a savvy player, and savvy is something Indiana needs as much of as it can get right now.
Will he deliver miracles? Who knows? After all, Mike Woodson is a great evaluator of talent, and there may be a reason Leal hasn’t seen the court as much until now. That said, the spark he’s provided since becoming a regular contributor is incalculable, and it’s going to take an incalculable spark to get Indiana into late March.
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Leal is the deal 💯🔥🔥🔥 Go Hoosiers!
Funny I read clutch shooter. I’ve been calling him “clutch” for a year and a half. Just watching him in warm-ups, drilling one 3 pointer after another has made me wonder why he hasn’t been used more. He’s a long range sniper and a great kid with a will to win.
Great story of a player who bleeds cream and crimson!
Thank you for writing this! It’s well written and offers a great Spectrum of observations regarding l e a l. He definitely deserves the recognition and I look forward to Future games go Hoosiers!
We are Hoosier fans and we back our guys no matter what. They are our guys.