Bowling Green State University Athletics
Keith McLeod Feature
January 27, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2003
Keith McLeod is collecting a number of stamps on his passport this basketball season. The former Bowling Green State University player hopes a few more will be enough to get him into the NBA.
McLeod, last season's Mid-American Conference player of the year, is playing for Livorno in the top Italian professional league. He traveled back to the U.S. recently during the league's mid-season break.
"Getting to the NBA is still my dream, that's always been my ultimate goal," McLeod said. "The competition is very strong over there in Italy, and I think it is helping me elevate my game. It is a tough league. There are a lot of very good American players, plus a lot of pretty talented guys from Italy and all over Europe."
McLeod, one of two Americans on the Livorno team, is joined in the Italian A League by players like former Michigan State star Charley Bell and former Duke standout Trajan Langdon. The 6-2 McLeod, who is second on the Falcons' all-time scoring list with 1,895 points, is polishing his skills at point guard in Italy. A shooting guard during his BG career, McLeod is convinced his future in the NBA is contingent upon mastering the point.
"It's been all point guard over there, and that is fine with me. That's my ticket to the NBA," McLeod said. "The competition and the style of play have helped me develop those point guard skills. It's been different, since I was looked on as a scorer most of the time in college, but it's something I feel I'm picking up pretty quickly."
McLeod, who was an honorable mention All-American last season when he averaged 22.9 points a game and led BG to the championship game of the MAC Tournament, is scoring about 15 a game in Italy and handing out five assists.
"It was a big adjustment at first," said McLeod, who has been in Italy since August, "because of the language, the culture, the food. At first I was homesick really bad, but we practice twice a day and then play on the weekends, so once we got into a routine it was a lot easier to adjust.''
McLeod had performed well as a free agent for the Portland Trail Blazers in one of the NBA summer leagues, and was invited to their veterans training camp. But the Canton McKinley product opted to take the deal in Italy since it was a sure thing and allowed him to get experience against older players.
"Portland wanted me to go to camp, and then just take it from there and see what happened. But I feel like next year I'll be in a much better position to do that," McLeod said. "I'm earning a paycheck and getting more comfortable at point guard. By the time our season ends in June I'll be ready."
McLeod lives in Livorno, a small town near Pisa on the western coast of Italy, near the island of Corsica. He said he has been to see the Leaning Tower, and visited Florence.
"It's a good experience, and I'm probably going places I'd never go if it wasn't for basketball," McLeod said. "I'm enjoying the experience, but I stay focused on where I want to end up. At this time next year, I hope to be playing in the NBA."
