Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Heading into sophomore season, Teafale Lenard continues to find space “above the rim”
10/22/2022 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Snyder, Texas native was named Preseason All-Conference USA on Thursday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Sit long enough near the Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball team's bench during the 2021-22 season, and you can easily see the edge with which Teafale Lenard Jr. plays on the court.
It manifests itself in myriad ways. His thunderous dunks above the basket, followed by an even more boisterous scream. His risky attempts to alter passes on the perimeter, quickly followed by a recovery to alter shots at the rim. It's picking up full court, as the Blue Raiders often do after made baskets, trapping opponents by the scorer's table or radio row across the Murphy Center court.
All that edge needs to be controlled, Lenard notes. Several teammates, Elias King, Jalen Jordan, Jared Coleman, Eli Lawrence, all helped keep that edge moving in a positive direction in Lenard's All-Conference USA Freshman team campaign in 2021-22.
"I know some games, I'd come to (the bench) in my head, frustrated," Lenard said. "Them four, (they) helped my head."
But what gives Lenard that edge? There's some chip on his shoulder, to be sure. Just like nearly everyone on the Middle Tennessee roster. But more than anything else, it's his family that he keeps close that keeps him hungry on the court.
"My grandma," Lenard answers when asked what motivates him. Burdie B. Anderson, of Snyder, Texas, passed away in 2017. "I just know that when she was alive, I always I told her that I was going to get a house, no matter what. When she passed, that just motivated me more.
"Because I know she'd be happy for where I'm at now, but she'd want me to keep pushing."
---
When Lenard stepped onto campus in Murfreesboro last summer, thanks to a recruiting pitch that was buoyed by MTSU's NCAA Tournament history on the hardwood and Lenard's chance to play right away in head coach Nick McDevitt's system, there was a slight chance that no one outside of Middle Tennessee knew what the Blue Raiders had found in West Texas — a 6-foot-7 wing with unbelievable hops that was an instant impact player on defense, to say nothing of his dunking ability on offense.
"You want guys that can find ways to play in space," McDevitt said. "Sometimes that's because of your speed, sometimes that's just sheer size, sometimes it's strength.
"For T, sometimes that space is up above the rim."
It's safe to say that in 2022, after Lenard burst his way into the top-10 list in program history with 58 blocks as a freshman and broke the Blue Raider single-season record for dunks, that no one is going to have Lenard sneak up on them this season. The C-USA coaches confirmed as much this week, with Lenard being the only Blue Raider named to the All-Preseason team by coaches via the conference office on Thursday.
To outside observers, a player that averaged just under seven points a game last year making the All-Preseason team for a conference would raise some eyebrows. To dozens of NBA draft heads on social media, who comb through the college basketball ranks to find the next hidden gem prospect, someone with Lenard's unique skillset as a shot blocker and steal threat on defense makes him an easy choice.
Lenard hears the noise, the praise, online, from the Murphy Center on game days, and maybe even in opposing gyms, deep in their hearts. But he admits he doesn't pay attention to it.
"We know everybody is gunning for us," Lenard said, alluding to MTSU's C-USA East Division title in 2022. "So we've just got to come in here every day and work hard no matter what."
After coming off the bench much of his freshman year, a late-season injury to Josh Jefferson pushed Lenard into the starting lineup for the Blue Raiders final regular-season game and all of the postseason, two games in the C-USA Tournament and every game of MTSU's run to the CBI finals.
It was the kind of trust Lenard had earned after correcting freshman mistakes early in the season, becoming a key defensive cog and a constant offensive threat on the lob or off the rebound. His outside shot, while not taken in high volume, also had to be respected, making 23-68 attempts beyond the arc (33.8 percent).
What he needed to improve the most ahead of his sophomore year, more than his handles, more than his shot, more than any basketball skill, was his time in the weight room. Lenard came to MTSU listed at 175 pounds, looking every bit of it with his lanky frame. Thanks to the work of Lenard, with the help of new strength coach Brandon Buskey, Lenard has added 12-15 pounds of muscle over the summer, helping him be able to last longer on the court, and perhaps open up new areas of his game.
"Before I came my freshman year here, I was skipping reps in high school, even last year, I was skipping reps," Lenard said of his time in the weight room. "This year, I just don't skip no more reps, and it made a big change for me."
It's a change that McDevitt is excited about for the 2022-23 season, but even more so for Lenard's long-term future if he continues to take that work ethic to all aspects of his game.
"I think he could be one of the all-time great players that's come through this program," McDevitt said. "As he continues to develop, with his outside shot and the different kinds of ways he can score, (that) will allow him to play perhaps at this highest level after college."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook //MTMensBasketball Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
It manifests itself in myriad ways. His thunderous dunks above the basket, followed by an even more boisterous scream. His risky attempts to alter passes on the perimeter, quickly followed by a recovery to alter shots at the rim. It's picking up full court, as the Blue Raiders often do after made baskets, trapping opponents by the scorer's table or radio row across the Murphy Center court.
All that edge needs to be controlled, Lenard notes. Several teammates, Elias King, Jalen Jordan, Jared Coleman, Eli Lawrence, all helped keep that edge moving in a positive direction in Lenard's All-Conference USA Freshman team campaign in 2021-22.
"I know some games, I'd come to (the bench) in my head, frustrated," Lenard said. "Them four, (they) helped my head."
But what gives Lenard that edge? There's some chip on his shoulder, to be sure. Just like nearly everyone on the Middle Tennessee roster. But more than anything else, it's his family that he keeps close that keeps him hungry on the court.
"My grandma," Lenard answers when asked what motivates him. Burdie B. Anderson, of Snyder, Texas, passed away in 2017. "I just know that when she was alive, I always I told her that I was going to get a house, no matter what. When she passed, that just motivated me more.
"Because I know she'd be happy for where I'm at now, but she'd want me to keep pushing."
---
When Lenard stepped onto campus in Murfreesboro last summer, thanks to a recruiting pitch that was buoyed by MTSU's NCAA Tournament history on the hardwood and Lenard's chance to play right away in head coach Nick McDevitt's system, there was a slight chance that no one outside of Middle Tennessee knew what the Blue Raiders had found in West Texas — a 6-foot-7 wing with unbelievable hops that was an instant impact player on defense, to say nothing of his dunking ability on offense.
"You want guys that can find ways to play in space," McDevitt said. "Sometimes that's because of your speed, sometimes that's just sheer size, sometimes it's strength.
"For T, sometimes that space is up above the rim."
Good morning. Teafale Lenard is a very cool player that you should put on your radar. pic.twitter.com/4bnGoiV5e8
— Maxwell Baumbach (@BaumBoards) April 8, 2022
It's safe to say that in 2022, after Lenard burst his way into the top-10 list in program history with 58 blocks as a freshman and broke the Blue Raider single-season record for dunks, that no one is going to have Lenard sneak up on them this season. The C-USA coaches confirmed as much this week, with Lenard being the only Blue Raider named to the All-Preseason team by coaches via the conference office on Thursday.
To outside observers, a player that averaged just under seven points a game last year making the All-Preseason team for a conference would raise some eyebrows. To dozens of NBA draft heads on social media, who comb through the college basketball ranks to find the next hidden gem prospect, someone with Lenard's unique skillset as a shot blocker and steal threat on defense makes him an easy choice.
"There's a lot of good athletes out there that have good size, they just don't quite know how to use it to be productive," McDevitt said. "I think that's where (Lenard) just started getting comfortable. Altering shots defensively, blocking shots, playing at the rim, being a great offensive rebounder. He has good natural defensive instincts."Since 2012 only three freshmen had a STL% of 2.5 and a BLK% of 9. Two of those freshmen were projected number one overall picks in Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel and the third was Teafale Lenard. pic.twitter.com/fo8jfbKaCD
— KJ (@Kjpistons) August 20, 2022
Lenard hears the noise, the praise, online, from the Murphy Center on game days, and maybe even in opposing gyms, deep in their hearts. But he admits he doesn't pay attention to it.
"We know everybody is gunning for us," Lenard said, alluding to MTSU's C-USA East Division title in 2022. "So we've just got to come in here every day and work hard no matter what."
After coming off the bench much of his freshman year, a late-season injury to Josh Jefferson pushed Lenard into the starting lineup for the Blue Raiders final regular-season game and all of the postseason, two games in the C-USA Tournament and every game of MTSU's run to the CBI finals.
It was the kind of trust Lenard had earned after correcting freshman mistakes early in the season, becoming a key defensive cog and a constant offensive threat on the lob or off the rebound. His outside shot, while not taken in high volume, also had to be respected, making 23-68 attempts beyond the arc (33.8 percent).
What he needed to improve the most ahead of his sophomore year, more than his handles, more than his shot, more than any basketball skill, was his time in the weight room. Lenard came to MTSU listed at 175 pounds, looking every bit of it with his lanky frame. Thanks to the work of Lenard, with the help of new strength coach Brandon Buskey, Lenard has added 12-15 pounds of muscle over the summer, helping him be able to last longer on the court, and perhaps open up new areas of his game.
"Before I came my freshman year here, I was skipping reps in high school, even last year, I was skipping reps," Lenard said of his time in the weight room. "This year, I just don't skip no more reps, and it made a big change for me."
It's a change that McDevitt is excited about for the 2022-23 season, but even more so for Lenard's long-term future if he continues to take that work ethic to all aspects of his game.
"I think he could be one of the all-time great players that's come through this program," McDevitt said. "As he continues to develop, with his outside shot and the different kinds of ways he can score, (that) will allow him to play perhaps at this highest level after college."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook //MTMensBasketball Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
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