PEORIA — Malevy Leons knows the adage that the clothes make the man. Although, in his case, it’s the man who made the clothes.
The 6-foot-9 senior star forward for the Bradley Braves went to work in his final semester as a merchandising and marketing intern for sports information director Cody Roskens.
“They lured me in with pizza,” Leons said, laughing. “They told me their meetings had pizza, so I showed up.”
Next thing Leons knew, he was officially an intern and in charge of pressing “PIA” logos onto the uniforms for the Bradley women’s basketball team. The uniforms were red with white “PIA” lettering that transitioned at the bottom into the downtown Peoria landscape, worn in the Feb. 22 game against Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum.
What to know: Bradley coach and player react to hosting first-round NIT game against Loyola Chicago
“It was such a good learning experience,” Leons said. “I needed that internship as a requirement for my degree. I worked in an office setting, went out to market the campaign on the campus and in the area, was with the crew that shot promotional videos.
Leons said it was a chance for him to take his basketball talent and extend it beyond practices and his personal life.
“I thought about it, and if I’d tried accounting or something else, I don’t know how that would have helped me in basketball,” he said. “But this marketing and merchandising fits, maybe someday I’ll design a line of basketball clothing.”
Wearing the uniform again
Leons will wear his familiar No. 14 jersey at least one more time when the Braves host Loyola in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at Carver Arena on Wednesday.
In his final season of eligibility, the big forward with NBA tools thought he’d played his final game at home on Feb. 28 against Southern Illinois.
But for him and other Braves teammates, this NIT game is a gift, a curtain call.
“It’s so exciting, just awesome,” Leons said Monday as BU began preparations for former Missouri Valley Conference rival Loyola. “Playing at Carver Arena, the place, the fans, it just never disappoints.”
NIT 2024: What to know about National Invitational Tournament schedule, times, TV
Neither does Leons. He joined Bradley’s 1,000 career points club this season, earned an All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team honor and repeated as MVC Defensive MVP. His length and tenacious defense, coupled with his strong outside shooting, give him a serious projection as a pro prospect in Europe, and perhaps in the NBA G League.
“Malevy Leons is a special person,” Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. “All our fans should come out and see his big smile on the court one more time.”
A year ago, Peoria’s NIL collective, Home of the Brave, made a serious pitch to help Bradley keep Leons, and he made a decision to stay here for his final year of eligibility. It was relative Monday as the NCAA transfer portal heated up and Valley teams like Northern Iowa (five players) and Southern Illinois (six players) were hit hard by roster departures.
Wardle acknowledged the distractions all teams face in the postseason, the transfer portal being significant among them. Leons faced that crossroads last year and has never looked back.
“It was a great decision that I made,” Leons said. “There’s something about investing multiple seasons and building something together. Staying with these guys was a great decision for me.
“I’d tell anyone, ‘Do what makes you happy.’ For me, that was Bradley.”
Bravely Speaking
Bradley vs Loyola has the potential to be a defensive battle, as both teams rank among the top-50 defenses in the nation. … Bradley and Loyola last met in the Ramblers’ final MVC season of 2021-22. Bradley’s roster from that season still has forward Malevy Leons, guard Connor Hickman, guards Cade Hardtke and Sam Hennessy, and forwards Darius Hannah and Connor Linke on it. … Loyola’s roster includes All-A 10 Conference guard Braden Norris, 6-8 forward Tom Welch and Valpo transfer guard Sheldon Edwards as the players still remaining who faced Bradley in 2021-22. … “We remember some of those guys, Loyola is a very good team and we’re excited to face them,” Bradley forward Malevy Leons said on Monday.
Who’s going to win? Bradley vs Loyola Chicago in NIT opener
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball defensive star Malevy Leons also a marketing intern
