The Blue Devils received their first commit for the Class of 2016 Tuesday when five-star forward Leonna Odom signed her National Letter of Intent to come to Durham next fall. The 6-foot-2 Odom is the No. 9 prospect and top-ranked wing in her entire class, per ESPN, and received a 98 scouting grade.
The Los Alamitos, Calif., native is about to begin her senior season at Chaminade College Prep in Los Angeles, where she transferred before her junior year. Odom averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in her inaugural season at Chaminade last year—her third straight season at a new school.
Odom is lauded for her versatility and athleticism on the perimeter, which should fit well into Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie's preferred up-tempo style of play. The Blue Devils' current roster is loaded with underclassmen—highlighted by five guards who comprised the top-ranked Class of 2015, as well as sophomores Azura Stevens and Rebecca Greenwell.
“Leonna is a special, special kid,” McCallie said in a press release. “She works hard, she’s extremely athletic and she can play multiple positions—the four, the three and maybe even others. She’s just so quick to the rim as a player, so she gives us another great rebounder. She is a person that is very comfortable around the paint and also has a great outside jump shot. As a defender, she’s quick as a cat. We’re very excited about her. She’s working hard to get stronger. That’s going to be an important key for her."
No. 14 Duke opened its season this past weekend with a pair of victories against Pennsylvania and Winthrop, and will host No. 12 Texas A&M Wednesday night in its first major test of the season.
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