During the 2007-2008 season, many players have stepped up on different nights to lead the Badgers men's basketball team. On Jan. 2, 2008, in the Big Ten Conference opener at Michigan, that player was freshman forward Jon Leuer. Leuer came off the bench to score a game high 25 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor and went a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Leuer's 25 points were the highest in school history for a freshman in his Big Ten debut.
Leuer's ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint made him one of the top recruits in the 2007 class in the state of Minnesota. Leuer grew up playing guard until he grew nine inches and added 70 pounds within a two-year span in high school. Leuer is from Long Lake, Minn., and played for Orono High School. As a senior he averaged 23.2 points per game and 12 rebounds per game and was second team all-state and first team all-conference while also being selected to the Minnesota All-Star game.
Leuer was not being recruited by many major programs until the spring of 2006. After growing nine inches, Leuer was able to maintain his outside jumper and the ability to get up and down the floor while also developing and working in the post. Leuer was ranked as the 82nd overall high school player in the country and ranked as the 23rd overall power forward in the country by rivals.com. He was recruited by Louisville, Notre Dame, Indiana, Wisconsin and his home state school of Minnesota. Leuer ultimately chose the University of Wisconsin.
I didn't know too much about [UW-Madison] until I came down for an unofficial [visit],"" Leuer said. ""I kept in touch with the coaches and had a good relationship with them, and that's what ultimately influenced my decision.""
Early on in the season Leuer established himself as a key part of the Badgers eight-man rotation, consistently getting 10 or more minutes per game. Leuer came off the bench to spell veteran post players such as Brian Butch and Marcus Landry and to provide the Badgers with more quickness and an offensive weapon both in the post and beyond the arc.
""I think having a guy come off the bench and be able to put up some big numbers helps us out as a team tremendously,"" senior forward Brian Butch said. ""First of all, he is a scorer, and the main thing is he is a great passer. He can see the floor well and hit guys that are open for easy buckets.""
Leuer burst onto the scene in crucial games at Duke and at home against Marquette, in which he scored 12 and 9 points, respectively. At Duke, Leuer was a lone bright spot and demonstrated his ability to score in the post and be aggressive on the boards. Coincidentally, against Marquette Leuer showed his ability to extend defenses by going 2-for-2 behind the arc keeping the Badgers close.
Now, almost halfway through the Big Ten schedule, Leuer has shown his ability to score and make great passes but, like most freshmen, has been inconsistent at times.
""Jon as a ballhandler and passer has really emerged and his feel for the game has really improved, obviously shooting the basketball pretty well at times,"" said assistant coach Howard Moore. ""He hasn't knocked down a few of those shots that he did earlier, but he still is a guy that is a threat out there and he can really stretch the floor for you on the offensive end and he gets tough rebounds at times. He needs to get stronger, and that's one of the things he has improved at, but once he gets stronger and more seasoned he will be a heck of a player.""
Leuer is averaging 4.9 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from the floor as well as a blistering 52.4 percent behind the arc despite recent struggles. Leuer, being a prototypical player for the swing offense, will continue to improve and see more time as the season progresses.
""I just want to keep getting better and keep working hard,"" said Leuer. ""You can't get too high when you play well and you can't get too down when you play poor, because you're going to make mistakes and you have to learn from them.""
