Leaonna Odom
Leaonna Odom is one of the most versatile players in the 2016 class. *Photo by Chris Hansen.
Duke added it’s first verbal commitment of the class of 2016 this week when 6-foot forward Leaonna Odom of Los Alimitos, Calif., gave a verbal pledge to the Joanne P. McCallie and her staff. Odom picked the ACC school over Tennessee and Texas.
Odom, who has been a mainstay at the top of the 2016 class, is coming off a very strong July evaluation period. Her athleticism and willingness to exploit mismatches made her as tough a one-on-one cover as there was on the circuit this summer and when she wasn’t beating people by slashing to the rim, she showed that she was in the discussion as one of the premier offensive rebounders in the country as well. Odom’s ability to be as effective playing with the basketball in her hands, as she is without it, will allow her to be an impactful ACC player.
For Duke, landing Odom gives them one of the elite talents in the 2016 class and a versatile piece that will fit nicely with their style of play. Duke has been known for liking long, athletic, virtually interchangeable wings and forwards across its frontline. The Blue Devils like to use their length to create problems on the defensive side of the ball and then exploit size mismatches on offense. Odom’s game and basketball ability is a natural fit for this.
Look for Duke to continue to work on adding pieces on the frontline in the 2016 class. Wings Jocelyn Willoughby and Natalie Chou are both in the mix while true post Ciera Johnson is also considering Duke. Adding a post is an area of interest for Coach McCallie and her staff but with flexibility and youth throughout the roster, Duke could wait until 2017 to make a high volume of additions.
Keil Moore is the Director of Scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report and international scouting report. He serves on the Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors and has been a member of the women's basketball community for more than eight years as a trainer and evaluator. He can be reached at keil@prospectsnation.com.
