Malevy Leons named David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Charlotte, NC - Mineral Area's (MO) Malevy Leons has been named the 2020-21 David Rowlands NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
A native of the Netherlands, Leons led the Cardinals' men's basketball team to a 24-1 overall season record. The sophomore averaged 18.7 points per game and 9.7 rebounds throughout the 2020-21 season, including six double-doubles and 10 games with 20-plus-point performances.
Mineral Area was the No. 20 ranked team in the 2020-21 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball preseason poll. With Leons as a strong presence on the court, the Cardinals quickly climbed to a top-five ranking a few weeks into the season. After reaching the 15-win mark in mid-March, Mineral Area reached its highest ranking of the season at No. 2 where it would remain for the final three weeks of the season.
The Cardinals earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship in Hutchinson, KS. In two games at the national tournament, Leons averaged 20 points, with a 58.7 field goal percentage, 10 rebounds, and three blocks per game.
Leons' successful season also earned NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Year, First Team All-America honors, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Two-Year Player of the Year, and NJCAA Region 16 Player of the Year recognition.
The six-foot, nine-inch forward has signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Bradley University in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference next year.
Leons will be honored during the inaugural NJCAA Foundation Awards event, presented by the Nicole and David Tepper Foundation, held virtually on Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM CT. The event will recognize the NJCAA Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Lea Plarski Award winner, the Champion Award winners, and the Difference Maker Award winner, in addition to the inaugural class of the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
To register for the free event and to learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards, visit: NJCAA Foundation Awards
To learn more about past NJCAA Male Student-Athletes of the Year, visit: David Rowlands Award Winners
About the NJCAA David Rowlands Award
David Rowlands was an active member of the NJCAA from 1972-1988. He was a regional director during that time and from 1975-1988 was the chair of the NJCAA baseball committee. Rowlands, a baseball coach at Truman College (Chicago, IL), served on the NJCAA gymnastics, golf, executive and eligibility committees. Rowlands was the perfect model of hard work, discipline, ethics, and excellence in community college athletics. This award is given annually to the NJCAA Student-Athlete that best exhibits these traits.
