University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Bond picks up MVC men’s basketball Player of the Week honors
12/15/2025 3:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS --- UNI redshirt junior guard/forward Leon Bond III has been named the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) Player of the Week for men's basketball, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
This is the first weekly conference honor for Campbell and the Panthers this season, and is the second MVC Player of the Week nod in his career.
The selection comes for the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin native after Bond scored a season-high 26 points in Northern Iowa's 75-63 home win over Oakland on Saturday night, helping the Panthers improve to 8-2 on the season. Bond also pulled down seven rebounds in the win over the Golden Grizzlies, and shot nine-of-14 from the field (64.2%) and 50% from three-point range with three made three pointers.
Bond leads UNI with 14.1 points per game through ten games this season, along with 5.3 rebounds per contest and a team-high nine blocked shots, shooting 51.5% from the field and 46.3% from three-point distance (19-of-41).
In addition to Bond, Murray State's Layne Taylor was named the MVC's Newcomer of the Week, while Belmont's Jack Smiley earned MVC Freshman of the Week honors.
Bond and the Panthers return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they visit the UIC Flames in Chicago in their MVC opener. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Credit Union 1 Arena with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
