Heading into the 2021 season, Bradley men’s basketball needed a spark. They were coming off an eighth place finish in the Valley, a sub-.500 record for the first time in four years and the departure of much of the core that led them to back-to-back Arch Madness trophies.
That spark was found in the form of a skinny junior college graduate from the Netherlands, who learned to play basketball from his mother and fielded offers from multiple power conference schools but ultimately landed on the rebuilding mid-major in Peoria.
“I just had the best feeling with [Bradley],” senior forward Malevy Leons said before his first season. “It felt like a family over here and a place where I would really grow.”
Two years later, that same feeling leads Leons into his fifth year of college ball, as he decided to return to Peoria to try and help Bradley reach the NCAA Tournament once again.
“He’s a great leader through his discipline and through his work ethic,” head coach Brian Wardle said. “He’s one of our hardest workers, he has probably the highest motor on the team, he never gets tired and so I think you’re just gonna see a guy that’s a little more aggressive, more confident in his game playing with that motor and he’s gonna produce more.”
The guy who was once touted as “The Dunking Dutchman” has done more than just throw down the hammer as a Brave. Last season, Leons was the first player in conference history with 50 blocks and 50 steals in the same season. He was also the only player in Division I to add 200 rebounds on top of that. All this culminated in Leons winning the MVC Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the fifth Brave to do so and the first since 2013.
“It was an honor,” Leons said. “I know you don’t get that without a team playing well and winning, so I appreciate my teammates for always working hard during practices and trying to prepare me.”
His 11.1 points per game was good for second on the team last year, as was his six rebounds. He also knocked down 45 threes, showing his unique capabilities as a 6-foot-9 power forward.
Leons’ role is even more important now after the departure of All-MVC First Team member Rienk Mast, the Braves’ former leading scorer and rebounder. As Leons’ fellow Dutchman, the two shared a special bond, playing against each other while growing up back home before playing together on the same court.
Although it was a bit of a shock when Mast left for Nebraska, Leons wishes the best for his friend.
“I’m just happy for him and hope he will do good,” Leons said.
Leons is the next in line to take over the bulk of Mast’s workload, although it won’t be in the same form as his country brethren. Instead of posting up the opponent as Mast would do, Leons prefers to beat them off the dribble, using his three-level scoring to his advantage.
Wardle notices these abilities and thinks it’s an area the former NJCAA Player of the Year has improved on a lot, hoping that fans will see some of these moves on the court.
“I think he’s gotten better at making decisions with the ball,” Wardle said. “He’s always been a very good shooter, but his playmaking abilities improved this offseason so I think you’re going to see him have more confidence and be a little more aggressive than he was last year, especially offensively.”
Senior guard Duke Deen also sees Leons’ improvement in this area and thinks it’ll add another aspect to his game.
“I’ve been impressed with his ball handling,” Deen said. “I always told him that he couldn’t dribble so he’s improved on that a lot and just making the right decisions.”
While others may feel the pressure of leading a team in this way, especially coming off the year that Leons had, it’s just business as usual for the always-stoic grad student. While he wants to improve on last year’s totals, he figures that if he prepares the same way again, the results will speak for themselves.
“Just doing the same thing, keep working hard,” Leons said. “Staying with a growth mindset [and] always trying to get better.”
Deen echoed this sentiment and doesn’t see any difference in how Leons conducts himself from last year to this year.
“Mal is Mal,” Deen said. “He does what he does every day and it’s the same dude every day.”
It’s not every day a community college player joins the Division I ranks. It’s even rarer to see a community college player thrive at that level. Now, as a preseason First Team selection, Leons will try to lead the Braves to the promised land, something that may have seemed impossible two years ago.
