Information Provided By Franklin Pierce Sports Information


RINDGE, N.H. – Franklin Pierce University All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy), the 2007-2008 State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, has been named the 2008 Women’s Division II Bulletin Preseason Player of the Year. The announcement was made in the publication’s special “Preseason Preview” issue, released today.

Leedham, a two-time State Farm/WBCA Division II All-American, heads the Women’s Division II Bulletin’s “Super 16” All-Americans that features two players from each of the eight NCAA Division II regions. The publication, founded in 1993, is the leading publication covering Division II women’s basketball and is published by GSR Communications in Beaverton, Ore.

“It’s a tremendous honor for Johannah, and for a player who thrives on pressure, a great challenge to repeat,” said Franklin Pierce head coach Mark Swasey, who is getting set to begin his seventh season at the Ravens helm. “This shows us that the expectations out there are high and we will not have the element of surprise on our side this year. But for our team, maintaining balance and focus will be the important keys.”

Leedham, the first Northeast-10 women's basketball player ever named State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, led Franklin Pierce to its best season in program history last winter, reaching the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Kearney, Neb., after claiming its first Northeast Region Championship. The State Farm/WBCA All-America and Daktronics All-America selection also collected All-Northeast Region, NE-10 and ECAC Player of the Year and All-NE-10 first team accolades last winter. Leedham is an ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America and NE-10 All-Academic first team selection, having earned a 3.35 cumulative grade point average at Franklin Pierce.

Leedham led the NE-10 for the second-straight year in scoring, with 23.0 points (3rd nationally), and steals with 3.4 per game (12th) this season, to go with 7.0 rebounds (11th NE-10) and 4.0 assists per game (5th). She shot 48-percent (262-for-546) from the field (9th), including 35.5% (54-152) from three-point range (10th), and converted 83.7% (180-215) of her free-throw attempts (5th). She led the Ravens in scoring in 32 of their 33 games and set single-season records for points (758), steals (111) and free-throws made (180) - the latter two breaking her own single-season marks.

Leedham averaged 28.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals in Franklin Pierce's four NCAA Tournament contests, netting 30-plus points in their last three games. She made 48.6-percent (36-for-74) of her shots from the field and converted 90% (36-for-40) of her free-throw attempts in the Tournament. Leedham earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Northeast Regional, leading the Ravens to their first regional championship, and was selected to the All-Tournament team for the Elite Eight.

Leedham has reached double-figures in scoring in all 58 games of her collegiate career, scoring 20-plus points in 40 of those games (24 of 33 last season) and netting 30-plus points 15 times (seven last winter). Leedham holds no less than 23 program records through just two collegiate seasons. She became the fastest player in program history to reach 1,000-career points, doing so in her 44th career game at Saint Rose last January. Leedham currently ranks third all-time at Franklin Pierce with 211 career steals, sixth in program history with 1,336 career points and tenth with 46 career blocked shots.

Leedham earned a spot on Great Britain’s Women’s Senior National Team this summer after starring at the youth international level. She averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.9 assists in 24.3 minutes per game over Great Britain’s eight European Championship qualifiers this summer. She shot 35.1-percent (26-for-74) from the field and converted 84.2% (32-38) of her free-throw attempts in her tournament for the full national team.

Franklin Pierce, ranked a program-best sixth in the final USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, opens its 2008-2009 season on Saturday, November 15, when it faces Queens (N.Y.) College as part of the Saint Michael’s College Doubletree Tip-off Classic in Colchester, Vt., at 2 p.m. The Ravens are also ranked 22nd on the WBCA’s Division II Academic Top 25 after earning a 3.399 team grade point average for the 2007-08 academic year.