Basha High School has developed into one of the elite basketball programs in Arizona over the years, and one of the program’s brightest young prospects is Lleyton Leonard, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound rising junior guard/wing in the 2028 class. Leonard has been an impact performer since entering high school and has already put together two excellent seasons for the Basha Bears. After an impressive freshman campaign, Leonard took another significant step forward as a sophomore, raising his production and establishing himself as one of the elite prospects in Arizona’s loaded 2028 class.
As a sophomore, Leonard averaged 14.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while helping Basha remain among the state’s premier programs.
Leonard has also continued to establish himself nationally. He is currently regarded by ESPN as the No. 56 overall prospect nationally in the 2028 Class, but that ranking could rise significantly following the spring and summer he just put together. Leonard spent the spring and summer competing with the highly acclaimed Oakland Soldiers (CA) program out of California on the prestigious Nike EYBL circuit. Competing against some of the nation’s best prospects on a consistent basis, Leonard had an excellent showing and continued to raise his national profile.
Leonard has also taken his talents internationally, competing with a USA Select Team and representing the United States overseas. His strong play against international competition has provided another opportunity for Leonard to showcase himself outside of Arizona, and continue what has been an impressive year for the talented young prospect.
Following his excellent spring and summer, Leonard has generated significant attention from Division-I college programs, and already holds offers from Virginia Tech, Dayton, Utah, Oregon State, Washington, Arizona State and California early in the recruiting process. That list should only continue to grow. As college programs begin to focus more heavily on the 2028 Class over the next year, Leonard should become a major target for many more programs. I believe he is a prospect that high-major Division-I programs will take a very serious look at, as his recruitment continues to develop.
There is a lot to like about Leonard as a college prospect. He has an excellent motor and competes extremely hard on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Leonard has a developing and versatile skill set, and is at his best when attacking the basket, where his athleticism, physicality and ability to slash allow him to finish effectively around the rim. Leonard is also an excellent rebounder from the guard/wing position and uses his athleticism and motor to make plays outside of simply scoring the basketball. He competes, plays hard and impacts the game in numerous ways - qualities that translate extremely well to the college level. At 6-foot-4 and still with two full high school seasons ahead of him, Leonard has plenty of room to continue developing his overall game. His combination of size, athleticism, offensive ability, rebounding and relentless motor gives him tremendous upside.
The next year should be a very exciting one for Leonard. His national ranking should continue to improve, while his college recruitment has an opportunity to explode as more high-major programs turn their attention toward the 2028 class. Leonard will also return to a talented Basha program this season, where he will look to build on his excellent sophomore campaign and help the Bears remain among Arizona’s elite high school basketball programs.
I am a big fan of Leonard as a prospect and look forward to watching his continued development. I will also continue to follow his recruitment closely and bring you any updates as they continue to develop.
