Player Bio: Leon Powe :: Men's Basketball (original) (raw)

Men's Basketball

A healthy Powe returns to the lineup this year after missing all of last season due to left knee surgery ... played throughout the summer without pain or swelling in the knee and appears to be at full strength for the first time since his junior year of high school ... selected a preseason candidate for the 2005-06 Wooden All-America team ... a charismatic and confident player who provides vocal leadership for the Bears ... his toughness, drive and determination are three characteristics that separate him from others on the court, according to head coach Ben Braun ... gives Cal a powerful presence under the basket, especially with his rebounding tenacity ... has exceptional hands and control around the hoop ... excels down on the block, but can also step out to hit the mid-range jumper ... a McDonald's and first-team Parade All-American at nearby Oakland Tech HS, he is the most highly acclaimed recruit to play under Braun at Cal ... 2004-05 ... originally hurt his knee in April after his junior year of high school, undergoing reconstructive surgery, but returned to play a full season as a senior ... after a normal postseason physical in the spring of 2004, doctors noted he needed to have the knee operated on again ... had the first of two surgeries April 21 (bone graft) and the second operation (reconstructive) in the two-part procedure Sept. 8 ... cleared for full contact May 26, 2005 ... named MVP of the San Francisco Pro-Am league in the summer of 2005 when he averaged 33 ppg and 11 rpg ... also averaged 23.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg in five games during Cal's summer trip to Italy, with a high of 37 points vs. the Belgian team, Liege ... 2003-04 ... earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-10 honors, becoming the first freshman in the history of the league to lead the Pac-10 in rebounding ... also the first Golden Bear freshman to be named team MVP and pace Cal in both scoring and rebounding since Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 1995-96 ... obliterated the Cal freshman rebounding record by pulling down 9.5 per game, well ahead of the former mark of 8.6 rpg by Bob McKeen in 1951-52 ... the 9.5 rpg rate was the 15th highest in Cal history, topped only by Brian Hendrick (10.7 rpg in 1991-92) in the previous 20 seasons ... his 256 total boards were also a school freshman record and the 14th highest total in Cal annals ... led the Pac-10 with 14 double-doubles - tying for most by a Golden Bear since Mark McNamara had 20 in 1981-82 ... opened his career with five consecutive double-doubles and finished the year with seven in his final 12 games ... led Cal in rebounding in 25 of the 27 games he played ... set his career high with 15 boards in the Pac-10 opener vs. Washington and added 14 vs. Oregon State and 13 against Saint Joseph's ... scored a personal-best 27 points vs. UC Irvine ... tallied 25 of Cal's total 44 points vs. Air Force ... had seven games of 20 or more points ... voted MVP of the Golden Bear Classic ... had 19 points and 14 boards in a home win over UCLA ... voted Pac-10 Player of the Week Jan. 26 after that UCLA effort and a 14-points, 8-rebound outing against USC ... missed the Jan. 8 Arizona game with a swollen left knee.

High School: Averaged 27.4 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 3.1 bpg as a senior at Oakland Tech ... selected a first-team Parade All-American and the Gatorade California Player of the Year ... also voted the ANG Newspapers Player of the Year three times, the 2003 San Francisco Chronicle Bay Area Player of the Year and first-team all-state by Cal-Hi Sports ... scored 15 points and added a game-high 12 rebounds in the McDonald's All-America game, becoming the first player in the history of the Oakland Athletic League to play in the contest ... also had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the EA Sports Roundball Classic following his senior season ... rated the No. 6 player in the country by PrepStars ... also pulled down Top 10 rankings from Athlon (No. 7) and TheInsiders.com (No. 8) ... scored 40 or more points in three straight games in 2002-03, including 42 vs. McClymonds HS to clinch the league title, 87-80 in overtime, with 27 points coming in a nine-minute stretch ... averaged 33 ppg and 14 rpg during the state playoffs, which ended with a loss in the championship game to Westchester HS ... had his No. 44 jersey retired - the first Oakland Tech athlete to receive the honor ... as a junior, named a third-team Parade All-American when he averaged 28 ppg, 14.8 rpg and 3 bpg ... chosen the Cal-Hi Sports Junior of the Year in California ... also a first-team All-American by Street & Smith's magazine ... guided Oakland Tech to a 28-4 record and a berth in the state championship game.

Personal: Leon Powe Jr. ... born Jan. 22, 1984 in Berkeley, Calif. ... mother, Connie Landry, is deceased ... nickname is "The Show" ... in May 2003, received an award from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors that recognizes the accomplishments of foster care children ... social welfare major.

Career Highs
Points: 27 vs. UC Irvine, Dec. 3, 2003
Rebounds: 15 vs. Washington, Jan. 2, 2004
Assists: 2 many times, last at Stanford, Jan. 17, 2004
Blocks: 3 vs. St. Joseph's, Dec. 20, 2003
Steals: 3 vs. Wyoming, Dec. 9, 2003

Career Statistics