By SAM LANCE
Class of 2027 five-star prospect Joshua Leonard took an unofficial visit to NC State in mid-June and was given a chance to see what Will Wade has in store for the program his first year in charge.
Leonard, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward out of Wilson (SC) and the Upwards Stars Adidas 3SSB AAU program, was able to meet coach Wade, the rest of the staff and players on his visit. He also watched some 5v5 runs with the current roster.
“It really showed me how they connect, how they operate over there,” Leonard said. “So it was a great experience, going over there and staying at the campus with my mom.”
As for what he thinks of Wade?
“He’s going to keep it 100% at all times,” Leonard said. “He’ll never tell you anything to hurt you, it’s always to better you. So I learned that with him, and I learned that he’s real focused about the game. He doesn’t play around when it comes to game planning, practice and stuff like that. He thinks I can fit well, being a two-way prospect and shooting the ball more. He thinks I can improve on that.”
Five-star class of 2027 prospect Josh Leonard on his visit to @PackMensBball. pic.twitter.com/1C3AkF1vRZ
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) June 15, 2025
Leonard has unofficially visited hometown programs Clemson and South Carolina as well. Those two schools, along with Boston College, Cal, Charleston, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Miss State, NC State, Nicholls State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Tennessee, UCF, USF and Wake Forest have offered.
Duke, Florida State, Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech were some others schools to reach out with the 2027 contact period opened on June 15. Leonard said he knows about Duke’s brotherhood and NBA pedigree. The five-star doesn’t have any other unofficials set right now.
Leonard started playing basketball at age six and fell in love with the game. Ever since then, he’s improved, playing AAU and middle school basketball before becoming a varsity player at Wilson his eighth grade year. The small forward feels that really kickstarted his career because playing against seniors, it showed him how much work he needed to put in. Nowadays, Leonard is the No. 3 player in the 2027 class via On3.
“I’m somebody that can give you anything you need on the floor,” Leonard said. “If a coach tells me he needs me to rebound, block shots, score, I can do all of those things.”
When he’s at his best, Leonard dominates on both sides of the floor. He also excels at finishing at the basket and blocking shots. So far this summer with Upwards Stars playing up at the 17u level, Leonard has averaged 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 48.4% from the floor. The five-star will have coaches eyes on him the whole month of July.
“I just want to show them that I’m a great basketball player and great teammate,” Leonard said. “I just want to go out there, improve my game and get better. I would say playing against the Adidas competition, it gets you a lot better because those guys are going hard every single game.”
Leonard’s favorite NBA players to watch include Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes and LeBron James, bigger wings who playmake for their teammates.
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