Bowling Green State University Athletics
McLeod Named MAC Player of the Year
March 06, 2002 | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2002
Bowling Green State University senior guard Keith McLeod (Canton/McKinley) was named the 2002 Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year by the MAC News Media Association. He is the fourth Falcon, and third in six years, to receive the honor. McLeod joins Anthony Stacey (2000), Antonio Daniels (1997) and Jim Penix (1970) as BGSU players who received this honor.
"I think Keith McLeod got exactly what he deserved because he works very hard," said BGSU Coach Dan Dakich. "He has worked harder than any other kid I have ever been associated with, and I think the Keith is very deserving of this award."
McLeod, whose offseason workouts helped him increase his bench press by 60 pounds and improve his vertical leap by 4.6 inches, set a high standard for everyone else in the league right from the start of the season. His 33 points propelled the Falcons to an 82-78 win over Mississippi in the Top of the World Classic, and started a run of success for BGSU which would eventually see them start the season with a 13-1 record.
McLeod was unstoppable on the road averaging 27.1 points away from home, including eight efforts of 30 points or better. In the clutch, McLeod scored the game-winning or clinching points seven times this season and made two other baskets which gave BGSU the lead in the final minute of overtime losses. It was those late game heroics which earned McLeod national attention earning ESPN College Basketball 2Night "All-Onion" honors as one of the top clutch performers in the country along with Dan Dickau of Gonzaga and Jason Williams of Duke.
McLeod, who enters this week's MAC Tournament as the league's top active scorer (1,787 points), is the conference leader averaging 22.3 points per game. He also is ranked second in steals (2.03), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (41.8) and three-point field goals made (2.62), 12th in field goal percentage (44.3), 9th in free throw percentage (81.8) and 15th in assists (2.93). In addition, McLeod's defense earned raves while he guarded and contained some of the top scorers in the league night in and night out.
"It feels really good," said McLeod about earning the award. "I think I put in a lot of hard work. People have looked past me but I have just kept going and going. I kept working and it put me in a position to where people are seeing what I am doing and what I am doing for my team."
McLeod, who was third in the league in scoring as a junior averaging 18.1 points per game, was a second-team All-MAC pick as a junior and was not chosen on the six-member preseason All-MAC squad prior to this season.
Along with McLeod, senior Len Matela (Merrillville, Ind./Andrean) was a second-team All-MAC selection. A previous two-time honorable mention selection, Matela leads the MAC in field goal percentage (58.8) and is averaging 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. Senior Brandon Pardon (Middle Point/Lincolnview) earned honorable mention status. He is leading the league in assists (6.5) for the second year in a row and is averaging 11.5 points.
All-MAC (voted on by league head coaches)
First Team Theron Smith, Ball State Keith McLeod, BGSU Trevor Huffman, Kent State Andrew Mitchell,Kent State Brandon Hunter, OhioSecond Team Patrick Jackson, Ball State Len Matela, Bowling Green Antonio Gates, Kent State Leon Rodgers, Northern Illinois Steve Reynolds, Western Michigan
Honorable Mention Rashon Brown, Akron Brandon Pardon, Bowling Green Darcel Williams, Buffalo David Webber, CMU Tamar Slay, Marshall J.R. VanHoose, Marshall Doug Davis, Miami Robby Collum, Western Michigan Terry Reynolds, Toledo Nick Moore, Toledo
The following was voted on by the MNMA
Player of the Year: Keith McLeod, BGSU (30 votes)
Others Receiving Votes: Theron Smith, BSU (24), Leon Rodgers, NIU (7), Trevor Huffman, KSU (3), Brandon Hunter, Ohio (1), Andrew Mitchell, KSU (1), Antonio Gates, KSU (1)
Coach of the Year: Stan Heath, KSU (43 votes)
Others Receiving votes: Robert McCullum, WMU (10), Charlie Coles, MIA (4), Rob Judson, NIU (4), Reggie Witherspoon, UB (3), Tim Buckley, BSU (3).
