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Leonard scores national honor
NEVADA, Mo. -- Nevada High School product and Cottey College freshman Lacy Leonard was honored recently, being named the NJCAA Class II Women's Basketball National Player of the Week.
Leonard was honored for her play last week, in which she led the Comets to a 1-1 record by averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds.
While Cottey lost to Stephens College on Feb. 18, they also beat Penn Valley for the first time in school history on Feb. 14.
"It's very exciting," Leonard said. "Especially being from a small town like Nevada."
Leonard said playing with her current teammates played a large factor in the award.
"It's been a lot of fun this season, I've really enjoyed it," she said. "All the girls are fun. There's no controversy on the team at all."
"With Lacy playing the position she does (post), it's a team award as much as anything," Cottey head coach Dave Ketterman said. "It shows what type of team we have. We're willing to share the basketball and do the things necessary to win ballgames."
Leonard has been tearing up the competition all season, averaging more than 23 points and about 10 rebounds a game for the Comets.
With 13 double-doubles this season, Leonard has been part of a building process Ketterman has undergone at Cottey. Their 10-10 record (.500 winning percentage) is the best the school has ever posted.
The 5-11 freshman set a school record in scoring average this season and her 489 points were the second most in the history of the two-year school.
Cottey has been playing basketball for seven seasons.
"I was nervous coming in," Leonard said. "I was afraid it would be a huge step. I think (Nevada head coach Brent) Bartlett really prepared me for college basketball. It was an easy transition."
This is the first time a Comet player has garnered the Player of the Week award. Ketterman said it can be used to help the program in recruiting.
"It's resumé building for a program," he said. "Anything positive like this. Players want to play with other good players."
Ketterman was the one who nominated Leonard for the award.
"It has to be a nomination from a coach or athletic director," Ketterman, who is both at Cottey, said. "I thought her stats were similar to those being posted on the web site (for previous winners)."
Ketterman also said beating Penn Valley, a reputable NJCAA Division II program, helped.
The Comets played in the first round of the NJCAA Region 16 tournament Saturday, hosting St. Louis Community College-Forest Park. It is the first time the Comets (the fourth seed) have been seeded high enough to host a region tournament game. Forest Park is the fifth seed.
The winner of that game will travel to Kansas City Friday for the semifinals at Penn Valley Community College.
The Cottey-Forest Park winner will play top-seeded and 15th ranked North Central Missouri College, which had a first-round bye.
The region championship game is Saturday, also at Penn Valley.