STILL GROWING: Naheem McLeod, SU’s tallest player ever, is stretching into his new role
W
henever Naheem McLeod was hungry after practices, he went straight to Phil’s Tavern in Blue Bell, PA, with his high school coach, Jim Donofrio.
The staff knew exactly who the then-6-foot-8 center was, and what he wanted.
“I got a pitcher of root beer, a cheesesteak, with whiz on the cheesesteak and cheese fries,” McLeod said.
In Phil’s Tavern, McLeod became the center of attention. This reflected how he eventually stood out both on and off the basketball court in stops at Chipola College, Florida State and then finally Syracuse, where he is the starting center.
McLeod, the tallest player in SU basketball history, has immediately and quite literally stood out among his peers. Through eight games with the Orange, he leads the team in offensive rebounds. Yet, McLeod’s past coaches and those close to him know he hasn’t reached his full potential.
McLeod made an impression on Donofrio during a practice session when he was in eighth grade. Donofrio envisioned McLeod as a future basketball star for Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PA).
In the workout, Donofrio saw McLeod take one dribble from the NBA 3-point line and dunk left-handed. Then from the right side, McLeod made one dribble on a jab step and dunked right-handed. Donfrio wondered if McLeod was left or right-handed.
“He said, ‘I’m right or left,’” Donofrio remembered, though McLeod eventually settled on his right.
Prior to that practice, McLeod said the middle school he was coming from undervalued his talent, but Donofrio didn’t. According to McLeod, Donofrio said, “This guy’s gonna be a pro. Y’all don’t know what you did, y’all messed up.”
Once McLeod got on the court at Plymouth Whitemarsh, he impressed. In his junior season against Archbishop Wood, McLeod used his frame to dominate and give the Colonials a 55-43 win.
He began his senior year with a school-best 41 points in a 66-61 victory over rivals Norristown High School. In that game, he distributed the ball much more while sealing the double-overtime win with a made 3-pointer and a dunk to defeat the Eagles.
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Similar to how he became the focal point in the final moments of games, McLeod was the center of attention nearly wherever he went. McClure said when McLeod worked basketball camps, kids always ran up to him for a picture. When people asked him how tall he was, he joked that he was 6-foot-4.
“He’s very social, and he would love to go out,” McClure said. “Whether it’s getting a Wawa hoagie, or going to Phil’s Tavern and getting a cheesesteak after a practice or a game, he’s a good player, good kid.”
Yet in the classroom, McLeod needed time to settle into his environment. During academic help sessions with Plymouth Whitemarsh math teacher Michael Connor, though, McLeod was a curious kid with a positive spirit.
McLeod and Connor worked on improving the center’s grades so he could get into big Division-I schools. According to Connor, McLeod never missed any of the help sessions.
“To watch someone’s work ethic like that, just really was positive,” Connor said. “That was a pleasure for me.”
Still, McLeod couldn’t raise his GPA or SAT scores. Instead of playing at Florida State, where he initially committed in 2018, McLeod ended up at Chipola College of the National Junior College Athletic Association. To Donofrio, most players would’ve just thrown in the towel after their initial dreams foiled. But McLeod didn’t.
At Chipola in 2020-21, McLeod scored in double digits six times, including a season-best 11 points against Gulf Coast State. In nine games, he blocked three or more shots, leading it all the way to the NJCAA Final Four.
McLeod’s performance at Chipola earned him the opportunity to go to Florida State. In two seasons at FSU, he started just 16-of-46 games. With limited playing time, McLeod searched for another change.
“I needed a new start, looking for somewhere new to call home,” McLeod said.
Those from his home in Philadelphia knew McLeod would ultimately find what he sought after.
Syracuse forward Quadir Copeland’s older brother, Daiquan, played with McLeod in Philadelphia. Copeland said the two hold each other accountable and that no statline will ever impress the other. After a victory over Canisius on Nov. 8, Copeland said he doesn’t care if McLeod got 15 rebounds, the forward expects 20.
“I feel like he can always have more. I tell him that all the time,” Copeland said. “Nothing is gonna be enough for him.”
McLeod knew he wanted to come to Syracuse in the middle of last season. Before SU’s game at FSU last February, McLeod pulled aside Copeland, Jesse Edwards and John Bol Ajak, telling them he wanted to come to Syracuse.
“I think Quadir was the only one that took it serious,” McLeod joked.
Once McLeod entered the transfer portal, he said Syracuse was the second school that contacted him. McLeod spoke with every SU coach and after his only visit to Syracuse, McLeod committed.
“When (Autry) preached to me that this team is built around me and I fit the play style for here, I was like it’s no doubt that I wanted to stay in the ACC,” McLeod said in October.
But through the first nine games of the season, McLeod has had one game where he scored over 10 points and hasn’t recorded 10 rebounds in a single contest. In that stretch, the most boards he recorded in a single game was nine against Chaminade and Canisius.
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Donofrio still watches and analyzes McLeod when SU plays. He joked that he wishes he could get a listening device in McLeod’s ear to give him advice on his game.
“I’d love to see him never accept getting boxed out on the offensive glass,” Donofrio said. “Just continue to pivot off and spin off and don’t accept and stay active because those arms of his are so long, he can just keep a ball alive.”
McLeod has the hand-eye coordination, footwork and ability to run the floor to be available for his teammates, Donofrio said. The coach also noted that Syracuse’s guards should always remember the 7-foot-4 “gift” right in front of the basket.
But McLeod is also learning from his teammates. After the win over Canisius, McLeod said Judah Mintz likes to attack from the left side, so when that happened, McLeod knew where to position himself.
And following SU’s blowout loss to Virginia, McLeod acknowledged that there are little, but critical qualities of his game that he has to improve.
“Just playing with more energy, definitely just energy,” McLeod said. “Coming out, blocking shots, changing shots, little things like that.”
Senior Staff Writer Cole Bambini contributed reporting for this story.
Photograph taken by Aidan Groeling | Staff Photographer