Freshman Leah Macy has a lot of scholarship offers, including one from Kentucky (Twitter Photo)
Talented freshman Leah Macy said her recent transfer from Bardstown to Mercer was about “a better fit and not all about basketball” for her. She not only is one of the state’s best players, but one of the top players nationally in her recruiting class. The 6-2 Macy averaged 18.9 points —27th in the state — and 12.7 rebounds per game —7th in the state — last season at Elizabethtown (23-2). However, both Macy and her younger sister transferred to Bardstown for this school year.
“Bardstown just wasn’t for me,” said Macy Sunday night. “Mercy is just where I need to be for the next four years and same for my sister. It’s kind of hard to explain. It wasn’t all basketball like some people thought. It was the school environment. There are a lot less distractions at Mercy, and I need that.
“The expectations they hold you to are very, very high. That helps you in life. Academically, you have to be very focused and manage your time well. That will help me in college. One day the ball will stop bouncing and I want to be ready to do something else in my life.”
Mercy is 3-2 but has won its last three games over Manual, Fern Creek and North Oldham and won’t play again until it plays in the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic Saturday at Lexington Catholic. Macy is averaging 17 points and 13.6 rebounds per game and shooting 59 percent from the field.
Macy played AAU basketball for Mercy coach Nick Cann and also was good friends with several girls on the team.
“But through summer ball and everything, I know players on a lot of teams,” Macy said. “The first two games we were getting used to playing with each other. We are going a lot better now. We are building chemistry and building each game. We are getting to know each other. This week we don’t have a game and can practice all week, which is a good thing.”
Macy says her role has not changed dramatically at Mercy from what it was at Elizabethtown last year. She is playing more of a power forward because Mercy has two other players 6-0 or bigger.
“The girls know me and know my game,” Macy said.
Macy tried to keep her transfer on the “down low to avoid havoc” she knew might be coming.
“We were very respectful. If you know me at all, you know that it wasn’t all just basketball,” she said. “I appreciate the people that understand that and are not just running their mouths about my transfer. People who know and respect me know why I did what I did.”
Macy recently got a scholarship offer from Tennessee to go with ones she has from Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Murray, Oklahoma, Arizona, Mississippi State, South Florida, Georgia Tech, Arizona, Illinois, and Oklahoma State.
5 Responses
Leah is a player, a baller.
Baller or not her reasons for leaving are BS and they all know it. She was mad because she was playing the 5 spot instead of the 1 on a team with an established PG who is also D1 committ.
High School athletes starting to transfer and move around more than the college portal now. Sounds like recruiting at its finest. AAU coach is her Hs coach hmmmm?
High school players transferring just as much as college players now smh high school portal is jumping. Wonder what’s the recruiting budget for a high school now days. AAU coaches having their players transfer to their high school they coach. College coaches beware they do it for high school they’ll do it to you in college.
But bottom line she did nothing outside the rules. Just wish her well