Kennewick’s Leavitt taking his game to Germany

This time of year, not so long ago, Bryce Leavitt was gearing up for high school football.

The one-time quarterback for the Kennewick Lions has been working his tail off this summer, but this time, it’s the basketball court that’s calling his name.

Leavitt, a 2012 Kennewick grad, signed a one-year contract to play basketball for Accent Baskets Salzkotten in Paderborn, Germany.

“That was my goal, to get paid to play basketball,” said Leavitt, who leaves Monday. “This will be a brand new experience for me. Besides Canada, I’ve only been to Australia.”

Leavitt, a 6-foot-4, 193-pound point guard, said the season is about 30 games, which is on par with college basketball, with one exception.

“There is no more homework,” Leavitt said. “For the first time in my life, all I have to worry about is basketball.”

Leavitt, 22, wasn’t allowed to talk about the complete financial package he will receive from Accent Baskets Salzkotten, but was able to say he will receive housing, transportation and a stipend for food, along with a paycheck for his services on the court.

“There are no real expenses,” he said. “Whether your salary is low or high, you are pocketing that.”

Working on his game

After a successful career at Kennewick, in which he averaged 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds as a senior and was named the Columbia Basin Big Nine Player of the Year, Leavitt took his game to the college level.

He walked on at Washington State and played 20 games for the Cougars during the 2012-13 season before transferring to North Idaho College.

“I was a walk-on hoping to get a scholarship,” Leavitt said of WSU. “They told me I would have to go one more year without a scholarship, and there were no guarantees after that, either. NIC was a really good fit for me. We had a good year, and it was a good year for me getting back on the map.”

Leavitt, who averaged 12.7 points, seven rebounds and 5.2 assists per game at NIC, had several offers from small Division I schools such as Portland State, Mercer University and Appalachian State University, but he chose Division II Seattle Pacific.

“I decided to go to a Division II powerhouse that had a tradition of winning,” Leavitt said. “And their last three point guards went to play in Europe. I’m No. 4. That was the kicker for me.”

The Falcons advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament his junior and senior years. His senior season, he averaged 9.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as the Falcons finished 22-9.

Leavitt graduated in June with a degree in political science with a minor in business.

“It’s been four or five years since high school,” he said. “It has gone quick.”

Preppin’ for the pros

Since he returned to the Tri-Cities in June, Leavitt has been working out at Elite Ambitions Training in Kennewick with Jamelle Juneau — and getting as much court time as possible.

“I’ve spent all of my time training,” Leavitt said. “I’ve been doing workouts and taking yoga. Yoga has been tough. This is my first time doing it, and it beat me up pretty good the first couple of times. I have noticed a big difference in my flexibility. I have super tight hips. I’m trying to loosen them up and make them stronger. I’ve been in the weight room a lot since high school. I’ve put on quite a bit of weight since my Kennewick days. I was 170 pounds soaking wet in those days.”

Leavitt gets court time at Kennewick High, Tri-City Court Club and Columbia Basin College to work on drills and skills.

“I still get some help from my old teammates — Reggie Clinton, Brandon Pocasangre, Jesus Garcia and Jose Galvaz,” said Leavitt, who also has gone up against recent Chiawana graduate Chandler Hansen, who was a 6-6 guard for the Riverhawks. “I get into some 5-on-5 games at CBC or Gold’s Gym. Anytime I can find a game worth playing in, I will. There are some pretty good players in the Tri-Cities.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Kennewick’s Leavitt taking his game to Germany."