The arrival of Christmas each year brings Meyers Leonard a growing understanding of life's non-material gifts.

The love for his mother, whose health does not allow her to see the 7-foot-1 Illinois center play basketball. The respect for his brother, Bailey, who is on his second tour of duty as a Marine in Afghanistan. And an appreciation that can't be measured for a family in his hometown of Robinson, Ill., that helped guide Leonard after his father died when he was 6.

"Christmas is about having that feeling of people caring about you and you caring about others," the Illini sophomore said. "I grew up without money. It was never about the gifts. I never had a lot of gifts under the tree, but that made me grow up to respect life even more, by far."

Some time in the not too distant future, an NBA team is likely to bestow upon Leonard more money than he can fathom. He already is considered a first-round talent with the potential to move higher.

For now, he is waging a battle to become a consistent college player.

At times dominating and at other times overwhelmed by the attention of opposing defenses, Leonard would seem to be one advantage for the Illini in tonight's Braggin' Rights meeting with Missouri.

When the game ends, he will retreat to Robinson, 150 miles east of St. Louis near the Indiana border, with its population of 7,713 and median income of $37,004. He will see his mother, Tracie, and visit the Silers, who supported Leonard from an early age as he grew into "an athletic freak" by his own description.

Brian Siler, a local insurance salesman, has a son the same age and a memory of Leonard playing baseball while his father stood in the outfield. When Jim Leonard died, Siler helped by getting Meyers to basketball games and eventually welcomed him into his home, introduced him to church and offered advice on life.

"He craved that like anyone who didn't have a real strong family background," Siler said. "He loved the idea of being around, and I treated him like one of my boys. I didn't give him a lot of slack."

Leonard reciprocated by doing chores at the house whenever he was asked.

Leonard's relationship with his mother, who suffers from debilitating back problems, remains close. They talk daily so that he can make sure she is OK. But Siler provided something that Leonard had lost.

His children, Austin, Aaron and Abby, and wife, Tarita, offered an extended family. Leonard ate meals with them and spent nights at their home. He received moral and financial support.

When Leonard began his growth spurt, Brian Siler bought a sofa sectional big enough for him to sleep in a playroom over the garage. Two years ago he had Leonard baptized.

"Brian is basically like my dad," Leonard said. "It's probably the best situation I've had in my life. He's an amazing role model. He never cursed. No alcohol. He took me to church. He showed me the right thing to do."

Tracie Leonard also has been a driving force, but she has limitations. When the time comes that Leonard is able to make some money, he hopes to move his mother to the city where he is living.

"He's anxious for that," Siler said. "She hasn't been able to have much because of her health, and that's what motivates him a lot is to take care of his mom. That's a dream of his."

Bailey Leonard will end his stint with the Marines in August and doesn't plan to re-enlist, according to his brother. They keep in touch via Facebook and occasionally on the phone. He has had close calls in his job transporting supplies, sometimes fuel tanks.

To honor his family, Leonard has a massive tattoo on his back. It includes the family name, "rest in peace" with his father's initials, and a ribbon with his, Bailey's and Tracie's initials.

Leonard admits that the distance, whether it be from Robinson or Afghanistan, has been trying.

"It's been hard sometimes, worrying about her and worrying about her worrying about my brother,'' he said.

He added, "I respect what he does. I'd never be able to do it."

But what Leonard does, he does well. He is averaging a seemingly mundane 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds and shoots 64 percent. But the skill set he possesses for a center is what has NBA scouts excited.

He is, indeed, an athletic freak for a man his size. He can score in a variety of ways, from perimeter jumpers to baby hooks and is just as comfortable running the floor and finishing with a dunk in transition. Few college big men can pass as well as Leonard.

He said if projected as a lottery pick in 2012, he likely would leave Illinois. Anywhere out of the lottery and he might stay. The topic makes him visibly uncomfortable.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber is trying to find a way to eliminate those thoughts, suggesting in the last week that Leonard has been distracted by the NBA chatter. He plans to talk with Leonard soon about the situation in hope of getting him focused on the season and not the future.

"It bothered him last year," Weber said. "Everyone said he was a pro, so he thought he was a pro. We're going to sit down with him after Christmas and say 'Here's where you're at. Here's where we need to go.' We'll see what his thoughts are and how we can control it."

There are games when Leonard looks like a lottery pick, such as Monday when he had 19 points on nine-of-11 shooting and 16 rebounds. Other games he seems far from that goal.

After tonight, Leonard will try to put basketball out of his mind for a few days. He'll visit some select friends, maybe eat at a favorite Robinson restaurant. And Brian Siler fully anticipates that Leonard will spend one night at his home.

"When he's with us, people say 'Is that your boy?'" Siler said. "I'd say, 'He's like my son.' I've asked Meyers if it's alright for me to say that. He says, 'Yeah, you're like my dad.' I just wanted to make sure it was OK."

As good as any gift.