Leaonna Odom
- Year: Sophomore
- Height: 6’2
- Position: Forward
Game Breakdown: Odom stepped on to Duke’s campus last season as a highly-touted 5-star recruit and made an immediate impact. She started in half of the Blue Devils' contests, and among ACC freshmen, finished sixth in scoring (8.1) and rebounding (4.6), and third in blocks (0.9) and field goal percentage (54.2).
Odom is an extremely versatile athlete who has shown that she can play nearly anywhere on the court. Her slick handles, rebounding chops, and ability to score from all three levels will be vitally important for the Blue Devils. She has also proven that she can be a defensive presence in the paint, finishing the season with 32 blocks, the eighth-best freshman mark in Duke history.
Role on the team: This Duke team is characterized by its excellent backcourt, and the Blue Devils will go as far as Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell can take them. However, after senior bigs Kendall Cooper and Oderah Chidom graduated, there are holes to fill in the frontcourt. Odom will be expected to produce from day one and help make up for their lost production
Initially, she will be relied upon to rebound, defend the paint, and stretch the floor. However, she’s too talented to be relegated to third or fourth option every night—there will be games where she’ll explode offensively. This could be a breakout year for the Lompoc, Calif. native—she’ll have the chance to prove that she can emerge as a top option on this team.
Projected stats: 11.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Stay tuned with the Blue Zone for our continuing player previews with redshirt junior Sofia Roma tomorrow. Previous players previewed include Jade Williams, Jayda Adams, Madison Treece, Mikayla Boykin and Emily Schubert.
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