Illinois is hoping for more out of freshman center Meyers Leonard than simply jokes.

“I’m kind of an attention-getter,’’ Leonard said. “If I dunk or crack a joke, I make sure everyone knows about it. I don’t like stealing everyone’s attention. But then again, I kind of do. More than that, I like to make people laugh, and I like having a good time.’’

The Illini would like Leonard to add to their depth and bring rebounding off the bench.

He had just one rebound in eight minutes against Wisconsin recently.

“If it’s his niche for us and the future, that’s a nice niche to have,’’ Illinois coach Bruce Weber said of rebounding. “Everybody is looking for that. There’s so much for him on his plate. Once the game slows down in his mind, I would hope he would become a better rebounder.’’
Leonard must practice better, learning habits on the practice floor before carrying them into the game."