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As a senior at Muncy, Adam Leonard was counted on to contribute so much offense that he could conserve his energy on the defensive end. When Leonard arrived at Franklin & Marshall in the fall of 2004, he learned something very quickly about the college game: You better empty your tank on defense, or you’ll get plenty of time to charge your batteries on the bench. “We play a lot of full-court man, we pressure a lot and play in your face, and I never had to do anything like that in high school,” Leonard said. “I was more of a ‘Save myself for offense’ kind of player in high school, but I cant do that here. You’re not going to get on the floor here if you don’t play defense.” Apparently, Leonard has picked up his defense pretty quickly. As a sophomore at Franklin & Marshall, Leonard started 15 times and averaged nearly 25 minutes per game. The 6-foot-4 guard’s 7.6 points per game ranked third for a team that finished 13-12 overall and missed the Centennial Conference playoffs by just one game. Leonard adjusted quickly to the college game, playing nearly 12 minutes a night as a freshman in 2004-2005, averaging five points. “It definitely came quicker than I thought it would, but it’s kind of trial by fire. You have to pick it up or else you’re not going to play anyway,” Leonard said. “We play kind of the same system that I did in high school, so the details I’ve just had to pick up a lot quicker. I think I’m a step ahead in terms of our offense.” Leonard, who chose Franklin & Marshall over schools like Gettysburg, Susquehanna and Lycoming, got a little help in the adjustment process when he trekked to Lancaster with fellow Muncy teammate and close friend Trevor Egli. Egli played just five games this season after seeing time in seven games as a freshman. While the tandem did not insist on a package deal during their college search, the chance to play for legendary Franklin & Marshall coach Glenn Robinson was too good to pass up. “A lot of the schools that would come to look at him would look at me and visa versa, so we made a lot of our visits together,” Leonard said. “The school just seemed like the best fit for both of us.” Robinson is approaching the top 10 in all-time NCAA victories and is first all-time in Division III with 710wins. The Diplomats have been to the Division III Final Four on four occasions under Robinson and went to the Elite Eight the year before Leonard and Egli arrived on campus. “Just the coach here and it’s a prestigious program in Division III,” Leonard said. “Just having the opportunity to play here, I’m really fortunate.”
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