Kennedy Leonard. Photo courtesy of Colorado University.
Kennedy Leonard.
Kennedy Leonard.
Photo courtesy of
Colorado University.
Southlake's own Kennedy Leonard, a guard on Colorado University's women's basketball team, was honored in March by the Pac-12 media for her stellar freshman season. The former two-time district MVP continues her successes at the collegiate level, starting 28 of 29 games, and averaging 11.8 points per game (second on her team) and a team-high 4.7 assists per game.
According to Colorado University, her 135 assists this season rank fourth all-time amongst first-year players. We caught up with Leonard about her first year at Colorado and her future aspirations.
Southlake Style: You had 28 starts in your freshmanbryear out of 29 regular season games. Talk about the ability to do that, which many freshmen players aren’t afforded.
Kennedy Leonard: I think coming in in the offseason and trying to work asbrhard as I could to get that spot was important to me. The ability to come inbrand start was a huge factor. I tried to work as hard as I could in the summerbrand be a good leader with my teammates. They started to rely on me and the teambrmeshed up together. I was fortunate to not only play in 29 games but start 28.
SS: You made waves in your firstbryear, fourth all time in assists for a single season, first-year player; second on the team inbrscoring average; first on the team in average assists... Did you expect to perform this well so early?
Kennedy Leonard.
Kennedy Leonard.
Photo courtesy of
Colorado University.
Leonard: I didn’t really expect it, but by the end of the season, itbrwas cool to see what I had done. I didn’t come in expecting that stuff. It wasbrcool to have my teammates there to do it with me. It was a cool experience andbrI’ll hope to build on it.
SS: The team lost the opening roundbrof the Pac-12 tournament. What did you learn from that experience?
Leonard: I think when you get there, it’s a lot of excitement to bebrthere, especially as a freshman. Next year, it’s anybody's day. Any given day, anybodybrcan win. It’s that mindset. If you don’t get that win, you’re done. Being abryoung team, we weren’t prepared for what was coming. Next year, we have a chance with the growthbrand maturity to get there and have the experience to get in and get ready tobrgo.
SS: What led you to pickbrColorado?
Leonard: The place that Colorado is. Every day you wake up and lookbrat the mountains. The team is awesome. I'm surrounded by good people all thebrtime. I wanted to change the culture here. When I get to the end, I want tobrleave this place better than I found it.
SS: What’s yourbrmajor/career focus? Why?
Leonard: I think I want to go into business, sports marketing, orbrmarketing/advertising. Something within that realm. I want to coach when I’mbrolder. I don’t really know. I know the business side of things, because my dadbris a big business guy. To relate to him on that level as well is cool. Tobrcoach, you have to be something other than a coach to graduate, so that’s whatbrI picked.
SS: You were born inbrJersey. When did you move to Southlake?
Leonard: I was born in New Jersey and lived in Chicago until 2008, thenbrin 2008, I moved to Southlake. I was like 12 when I moved.
SS: What are the biggest differences between Southlake and Chicago?
Kennedy Leonard.
Kennedy Leonard.
Photo courtesy of
Colorado University.
Leonard: Probably the weather is a big one. The football obviously, and sports aspect. They are big on basketball in Chicago, and football in Southlale. The Mexicanbrfood in Southlake is better. People in Texas and Southlake are nice. People inbrChicago get mad when you don’t drive the right way. They can be angry. Southlake isbrlaid back and people let you do what you want to do.
SS: How do you see thebrnext few years playing out? What are your long-term and short-term goals forbrthe team and academics?
Leonard: For myself, in the long run, I want to go pro. Hopefully onebrday I get to do that. I want to make the All-Pac12 team. I want to be onbrevery one of them. I want to be a good leader to people and have people look upbrto me personally.
On the team standpoint, I want to get to the NCAA tournament,brthe Final Four, and I want us to leave a legacy. Academically, I want tobrgraduate and go on, after I finish playing pro, if I get the chance, I want tobrcoach. If I can't do that, I want to be involved in sports somehow, somewhere.
SS: What do you like to dobroutside of sports? Who is Kennedy Leonard, the person, not the basketballbrplayer?
Leonard: Kennedy Leonard the person... I like to cook. Cooking andbrbaking is really fun. I could just have my dog as the only [being] in my lifebrand I’d be completely OK with it. I like to hang out with my family a lot andbrrelax. I love sports, but I’m pretty laid back. People think I’d be uptight orbrstressed, but I like to kick back, hang out and do things that make me happy.
SS: Coming from Southlake,brhow did that shape you. How did playing at/attending Carroll, in your opinion,brprepare you for your successes so far?
Kennedy Leonard.
Kennedy Leonard.
Photo courtesy of
Colorado University.
Leonard: Coach Morrison still talks to me every day. She’s more of abrmentor than a coach now. I played for her four years. We had a greatbrrelationship then. Every day, I talk to her and she helps me with everything that I have to go through here. She tells me everything’s going to be OK. Abrlot of people don’t get that. I thought that’s really important. Everything'sbrreally competitive there. You don’t get an easy day there. In other highbrschools and places, things aren’t as competitive as it is both academically andbrsports-wise as Southlake.
SS: Favorite memory on thebrcourt, playing for Carroll?
Leonard: My senior year, it was for CoachbrMorrison’s 500th win. We were down 1 point with 2 seconds left and Ibrhit the game winner. I got her 500th win for her. It was reallybrgreat to help her get it.
SS: Anything you’d like tobrsay to the folks back home?
Leonard: Just thank them for making it the community that it is andbrthat everybody cares about what everybody else is doing and wants what’s bestbrfor everybody. That plays a huge role in what everyone’s able to accomplish inbrSouthlake.
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