WATCH: Anthony Leal Announces Fifth-Year Return, Defends Woodson in Senior Day Speech

Indiana guard and Bloomington native Anthony Leal announced he'll return for his fifth year in 2024-25 during his Senior Day speech on Sunday after the Hoosiers' 65-64 win over Michigan State.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Anthony Leal didn't need to say much in his Senior Day speech following Indiana's 65-64 win over Michigan State on Sunday.

That's because he has a full year to think about what he wants to say.

"I've felt a lot of emotions over the last few days," Leal said. "It's really been hard, but the main thing that's been keeping me going is knowing that I don't really have to give this speech until next year."

The Assembly Hall crowd rose to its feet and applauded the Bloomington native and 2020 Indiana Mr. Basketball, who also defended his coach, Mike Woodson amid a season where he'd been mentioned as a coach on the hot seat.

"I do gotta make something very clear," Leal continued. "Adversity is part of sports, and for those of you who are so quick to give up and call for quits and everything, there's a reason that you guys aren't coaches. So relax. There's no other coach in the country that I would trust with anything in my life than coach Woodson, and there's no other university I'd want to represent. So we're gonna run it back, but you guys gotta chill."

Here's the full video.

Indiana also played a video tribute to all of the seniors – Galloway, Anthony Leal, Anthony Walker and Xavier Johnson – on the video board at Assembly Hall.

Here's that video.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

  • TREY GALLOWAY SENIOR DAY SPEECH: Indiana guard Trey Galloway used his Senior Day speech following the Hoosiers' 65-64 win over Michigan State to announce he's returning for his fifth season in 2024-25. CLICK HERE
  • ANTHONY LEAL SENIOR DAY SPEECH: Indiana guard and Bloomington native Anthony Leal announced he'll return for his fifth year in 2024-25 during his Senior Day speech on Sunday after the Hoosiers' 65-64 win over Michigan State. CLICK HERE
  • XAVIER JOHNSON SENIOR DAY SPEECH: Indiana is 4-0 since Xavier Johnson returned from an elbow injury, including Sunday's 65-64 win over Michigan State on Johnson's Senior Day. Here's the full video of his speech. CLICK HERE
  • INDIANA-MICHIGAN STATE GAME STORY: Kel'el Ware had 28 points and 12 rebounds and made a free throw with 17 seconds to go after missing five straight, helping Indiana beat Michigan State 65-64 in the final regular season game of the year. It was the Hoosiers' fourth straight win. CLICK HERE
  • WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana closed out its regular season in style on Sunday, beating Michigan State 65-64. The deciding point came on a Kel'el Ware free throw with 17 seconds left. Indiana coach Mike Woodson met with the media afterward. Here is the full video, plus the written transcript of his postgame press conference. CLICK HERE
  • WATCH WARE DUNKS: Kel'el Ware put together an impressive performance, scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the Hoosiers' win. Here are his highlights. CLICK HERE
  • WATCH WARE'S FULLCOURT PASS: Is there anything Kel'el Ware can't do on a basketball court? The Indiana center got the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd into the game with an electric pass to Malik Reneau for a quick transition basket. CLICK HERE
  • LIVE BLOG: Welcome to our live blog for Sunday's game between Indiana and Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. ET inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where we'll share updates, highlights and thoughts on the game. CLICK HERE

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.