Golf, leadership and the 3-point shot: How David DiLeo has left his footprint at Central Michigan

Above all, Kozinski was excited to see Chippewa forward David DiLeo. The two had been teammates for two seasons and had played more than 60 games together. Among other things, the two were united by their uncanny ability to put the ball through the net from 3-point range. At the time of their reunion, Kozinski held the school record for career 3-point makes, knocking down 306 triples in his Chippewa career. 

DiLeo broke Kozinski's record with a 3-pointer from the right-wing on Feb. 7 at Buffalo. Later in the game, DiLeo broke Toledo's Nate Navagato's record for career 3-pointers in Mid-American Conference history with a triple from the left corner. DiLeo needed one 3-pointer to break the school record and four to break the conference record — he hit four against the Bulls. 

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Kozinski called the relationship between DiLeo and himself a brotherhood. At shootaround the night before the Chippewas took on the Horned Frogs, Kozinski and DiLeo reunited over what served as the foundation of what both call a life-long friendship. 

“We kind of had a shootout like the good old times,” Kozinski said. “(We’re) still very competitive, still give each other the business so it’s a lot of fun.”

Early success 

DiLeo, in his time at Iowa City West High School, won a total of five team state championships. Aside from taking a pair on the hardwood, he was also a part of three state championship tennis teams — and a doubles championship, too. He possessed athleticism that carried over from sport to sport, a trait that not many can claim. 

“He had more athleticism than people gave him credit for,” said Steve Bergman, DiLeo’s high school coach. “He was a state tennis champion, you can’t be unathletic and do that.”

While at Iowa City West, DiLeo met Devontae Lane, an eager guard who was two years behind him in school but skilled beyond his years on the court. The two struck up a friendship during their time together, one that would be pivotal later on. 

DiLeo was always a skilled shooter, possessing long-range skills that caught the eyes of schools all around the country. However, DiLeo began to grow into his body as his career developed, and Bergman believes that as he developed, he improved as not just a shooter — but as a player. 

“His sophomore year, he struggled because he was growing into his body,” Bergman said. “His junior and senior year, he was very good.”

After graduating high school, DiLeo spent a season at New Hampton School, a prep school in New Hampshire. 

“That was good for him,” Bergman said. “When I saw him, when he came back from that prep school, he really, really matured physically.”

Following the year at the prep school, he enrolled at Central Michigan. He met Kozinski, who was headed into his junior season. The two quickly hit it off, linked by their abilities to put the ball in the net. 

“As soon as I stepped on campus Josh became a big leader for me, became a brother,” DiLeo said. “He’s one of my best friends.”

DiLeo and Kozinski used to spend literal days together, according to Kozinski. A typical day would consist of workouts, the occasional good time and countless hours in the gym. The two would play different shooting games to create competition and spice up workouts. 

One such game stands out in the memory of both athletes. Inspired by a round of golf, Kozinski, admittedly the better golfer of the two, introduced DiLeo to a shooting game modeled after the so-called gentleman’s game. Each shot was a hole. A miss represented a bogey, a make signifying par and a swish resulting in a birdie. 

“We went back and forth, both being good shooters,” DiLeo said. “One would get swish and swish and swish and then the other person. I can’t remember who won more games because it was so back-and-forth.”

“We had some heavy rounds of golf because he could for sure not hang with me playing real golf,” Kozinski added. “We did enjoy our shooting competitions. Still today, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, on the shooting.”

As a freshman, DiLeo came off the bench in all 32 Chippewa contests. In his first career game, a 117-53 victory over Indiana-Kokomo, DiLeo scored 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting. Both of his made field goals were 3-pointers. 

His freshman campaign saw him score 8.5 points per game, highlighted by a season-high 22-point outburst in an 87-83 loss at Northern Illinois. Though his freshman squad featured a backcourt of talented shooters such as Kozinski, Braylon Rayson and Marcus Keene, the team finished just 16-16 and lost in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. 

DiLeo burst onto the scene in his sophomore season, scoring 28 points in his third-career start. In that effort, he hit eight triples and fueled his team to a 103-68 win over Eureka. Not to be outdone, Kozinski scored 12 of his own points on four triples. 

Kozinski broke the record, at the time held by Rayson, for most 3-point makes on Jan. 30, 2018. He hit eight triples in the team’s 81-67 victory over Northern Illinois. In that game, DiLeo had four 3-pointers of his own and finished with 17 points. 

“There was a nonverbal understanding that he was on track,” Kozinski said. “I knew I had two years to get as far away as I could and make that goal for him a stretch and I think I did a decent job.”

DiLeo and Kozinski played their final game together on March 24, 2018, a loss to Liberty in the College Invitational Tournament semifinal. Following that game, DiLeo was forced to take on more responsibility. 

His days of being simply a 3-point shooter were over. 

Finding more ways to make an impact

DiLeo started all 35 games of his junior season, averaging 12.1 points per game. Again, he maintained his role as strictly a sniper and at times struggled to get going. He scored a single point in a victory over Ball State, two in a victory over San Jose State and scored just four points on two occasions. 

Heading into his senior season, DiLeo said he decided to diversify himself once again. He began looking for more ways to score more often, whether it be for himself or for others. DiLeo admits to having come to Central Michigan as simply a 3-point shooter, but his words and actions both on the court and off it signals a transformation at its apex. 

“I came in as just a 3-point shooter but I’ve worked in my four years and throughout the season to add more to that game because I know that being a 3-point shooter, every year in this conference, people are going to start taking that away from me,” he said. “In order to help this team win I need to do a little more, whether it’s getting in the lane to kick, getting into the lane to score, getting to the free throw line or rebounding. I’ve been working to make my game more complete and to this point, I think I’ve shown improvements.”

His efforts have the Chippewas among the top teams in the MAC West Division. After knocking off Bowling Green on Feb. 4, the Chippewas moved to the top of the leaderboard. In that game, DiLeo hit six triples. His final attempt at a seventh missed long. 

“It feels great,” DiLeo said following the win. “It’s a testament to my coaches and teammates throughout my career for putting me in a position throughout my career to utilize my strengths. To be able to tie the record at a school that is deemed ‘3MU’ and has had such good shooters in the past means a lot.”

Before breaking both the conference and school records, several of DiLeo's teammates — both current and former — said the record-breaking moment would be special. 

“He’s one of the greatest shooters I’ve ever played with,” Lane said. “If anyone was to break the record, it’d be Dave.”

“I’m happy for David,” added Shawn Roundtree, a guard who played with DiLeo from 2017-2019. “He was a great teammate and I always felt like having him on the court was an advantage for us because even though he can light it up from three, I knew we were going to get his all on the rebounds.”

When Kozinski saw DiLeo’s record-breaking triple fall through the net and his name bumped to second — there was no bitterness. Because of the game of basketball and their shooting talents, DiLeo and Kozinski have a bond both appreciate. The two are no longer teammates, but they are friends. 

Friends united by the 3-point shot. 

“Being able to develop that friendship together was truly a blessing,” Kozinski said. “How grateful I am that it’s Dave DiLeo beating my record, it’s a blessing.”