April 17, 2008
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. -
St. Bonaventure men's basketball head coach Mark Schmidt announced the addition of two junior college student-athletes on Thursday afternoon, with the signing of Ray Blackburn (Buffalo, N.Y./Erie Community College) and Lewis Leonard (Philadelphia, Pa./San Bernardino Valley College) to National Letters of Intent.
Both Blackburn and Leonard will enter as juniors with two years eligibility after spending two seasons in the junior college ranks.
"We needed players that can make an immediate impact and both Ray and Lewis can do that," said Schmidt. "I'm extremely excited for these to guys to join our basketball family."
Ray Blackburn
Guard/6-1/185
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
High School: Lackawanna
Head Coach: Tim Foley
Last College: Erie Community College
Head Coach: Alex Nwora
BLACKBURN PHOTO GALLERY
Coach Schmidt on Blackburn
"Ray is exactly what we needed not only at the point guard spot, but at any position on the floor. He plays the game with a chip on his shoulder and brings a physical presence to the court. Ray is a quick and aggressive player who initiates play on both ends of the floor. He's been through a lot of adversity in his life and his maturity and winning attitude will be contagious."
At Erie Community College (2007-08)
Earned NJCAA Division II first team All-American honors and was named the Region III Player of the Year ... averaged 19.7 points, 6.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game ... led ECC to a 27-7 record and eighth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament ... coached by Alex Nwora, he averaged 19.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.3 steals and 4.0 assists over three games at the national tournament in Danville, Ill. ... his 671 points in 2007-08 rank eighth all-time in single-season record books ... named the Most Valuable Player of the Region III Tournament and the Cole's/Brennan's Kickoff Tournament ... led the team in points, three-pointers (79), assists (233) and steals (139) ... shot 42 percent (79-188) from three-point range and 81 percent (156-193) from the free throw line ... registered seven double-doubles on the season ... led the Kats in scoring in 21 games and rebounding three times ... scored in double figures 32 times, including 25 consecutive contests to finish the year ... recorded 20 or more points on 17 occasions, including a career-high 35 on Dec. 2 ... had at least five assists in 29 games, highlighted by three double-digit games ... grabbed at least five rebounds in 15 games ... finished fourth on the team with 51 offensive boards.
At Monroe Community College (2005-06)
Averaged 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a freshman ... saw action in 26 games for the Tribunes ... shot 46 percent from the field (86-186) ... collected 28 steals ... had at least one assist in every game and four or more 13 times.
At Lackawanna
Named the New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSAA) Class B Player of the Year as a senior in 2005 ... a two-time first team All-Western New York selection ... awarded first team All-State honors in 2005 by the NYSAA ... ranks eight spots ahead of former Bona great Tim Winn on the Western New York scoring charts in 10th place with 2,039 career points ... one of 74 players in New York State boys basketball history to score over 2,000 points - list also includes Bona legend Tom Stith (St. Francis Prep) ... as a senior in 2004-05, guided Lackawanna team coached by Tim Foley to a 23-2 record, a Section VI Class B championship and a berth in the New York State Tournament ... averaged 28.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.7 steals.
Lewis Leonard
Guard/6-4/205
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
High School: Frankford
Head Coach: Ben Dubin
Last College: San Bernardino Valley College
Head Coach: Gerry Wright
LEWIS LEONARD PHOTO GALLERY
Coach Schmidt on Leonard
"Lewis brings an edge to the game and has a tremendous ability to score the basketball. He can score in a variety of ways and will fill our big need of a scoring wing player. The most intriguing thing about Lewis is that he loves to play and he's a complete gym-rat. Lewis will be a fun player to watch and we're happy to have him join our program."
At San Bernardino Valley College (2006-08)
The 2006-07 Foothill Conference Most Valuable Player ... finished second in the California Community College Association in scoring at 25.2 points per game ... scored over 1,000 points in his two seasons as a Wolverine ... finished with double-digit points in 43 of 56 career games ... as a sophomore, led the team in made three-pointers (62) and offensive rebounds (64) ... also averaged 5.9 rebounds per game ... scored in double figures in all 28 games this season ... finished with 20 or more points in 20 games, including at least 30 points on seven occasions ... poured in a career-high 41 points on 15-of-28 from the field against College of the Desert ... shot 44 percent (211-480) from the field and 70 percent (146-208) from the free throw line ... had two double-doubles ... made at least one three-pointer in all but one game ... sank at least two threes in 16 games ... made 10 or more field goals in a game seven times and double figure free throws on four occasions ... as a freshman in 2006-07, finished fourth on the club in scoring a t 12.0 points per game ... added 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals to his per game averages ... finished in double figures in 15 of 28 games played ... scored 23 points in first collegiate contest against Merritt ... went on to score 20 or more points five times, including a season-high 28 against Antelope Valley.
High School & Junior College Additions
|
| Ray Blackburn | G | 6-1 | 185 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Lackawanna/Erie CC |
| Lewis Leonard | G | 6-4 | 205 | Philadelphia, Pa. | Frankford/San Bernardino Valley |
| Andrew Nicholson | C | 6-9 | 230 | Mississauga, Ontario | Father Michael Geotz Secondary School |
| Marquis Simmons | F/G | 6-8 | 210 | Washington, D.C. | Central |
Four-Year Transfers
