Leonard is off the board

Kawhi Leonard, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound versatile wing from Riverside (Calif.) Martin Luther King, is off the board.

And according to his coach, Leonard may be the biggest sleeper on the West Coast and a potential star at the college level. Leonard, the No. 76 ranked player in the class of 2009, will fine tune his craft at San Diego State next season.

According to Martin Luther King head coach Tim Sweeney, Leonard gives the Aztecs a major player on the wing and a player with a bright, bright future.

"He might be the steal of the entire West Coast," Sweeney said. "This is a kid that was recruited heavily by the Pac-10 and then schools like Memphis and Marquette came by. The list goes on and on. He is a high, high-major player. I think everyone that has seen him play and continues to watch him play this high school year, I believe, will show he's one of the top players in the nation. San Diego State is getting a great one here. This is a kid that is a NBA player one year."

Leonard joins a talented recruiting class brought in by the Aztecs in 2009. He joins Eric Lawton, Chase Tapley and Alec Williams in San Diego State's class.

Sweeney said Leonard's presence should be felt right away because of his versatility and size will transition well at the college level.

"His body size and his length and his strength are all things that make him so good. The thing he's improved upon the most from last year to now has been his strength. His versatility is a big thing. Being able to play anywhere from a one to a four in college is another strength. He can guard a point guard on one play and then go and guard a seven-footer. He has a wing span of seven feet and his hands and arms are incredible," Sweeney said.

"On top of that, he's very big and strong. He can get the ball off the glass and go. His passing skills are just tremendous. It's kind of like having Magic Johnson because he just sees over everybody. He has a great feel for the game…He's just so darn versatile as a player."

Sweeney said Leonard had been leaning towards San Diego State for some time.

"It's kind of been expected all along. I think that is where Kawhi has wanted to go school for probably two or three months now. Maybe even longer than that," Sweeney said. "One, I think it is close. His mom can drive down there and watch him play. Two, he gets to play with one of his good friends Eric Lawton, who is from West Valley in Hemet and he's committed to them also. I think he loves coach Fisher and the staff at San Diego State. He's been there many times with his mom. There is just something about the university that has attracted him to go there."