Beasley leaving Kansas State for NBA after one season
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- After putting together one of the best freshman seasons ever, Michael Beasley is headed to the NBA.
Kansas State's All-American freshman announced Monday that he will skip his final three seasons to enter the June 26 NBA Draft, where he could be the No. 1 overall pick.
"It's time to take my game to the next level," Beasley said as his family and several teammates looked on. "I think I proved myself over the course of the season. I just think it's time for new challenges."
Beasley dominated his lone college season, averaging 26.2 points and becoming just the third freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounds at 12.4 per game. He had the second-most rebounds and third-most points by a freshman in NCAA history, helping Kansas State to its first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years.
Beasley also was a consensus All American, was named Big 12 Player of the Year and finished second to North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough for numerous player of the year awards.
"Mike's as good as I've seen," said Kansas State coach Frank Martin, seated next to Beasley in front of dozens of reporters.
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| Michael Beasley could be the top pick in June. (Getty Images) |
An agile, 6-foot-10 power forward, Beasley is exceptionally versatile, able to power his way inside or step out to the perimeter, shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc.
NBA officials came out in droves to watch him play at nearly every game and some general managers spent three to four days at a time in Manhattan, leading to speculation that Beasley would be the No. 1 overall draft pick if he left school early.
Millions of dollars awaits Beasley in the NBA, but it still wasn't an easy decision to leave school.
He spent the weekend debating whether he should stay or go, talking with family, friends and coaches about the NBA. It wasn't until Monday morning, just hours before his self-imposed deadline, that Beasley made his final decision.
"I kind of made my mind up, then went back to being undecided, made my mind up, then went back to being undecided," said Beasley, who signed with agent Joe Bell. "Today was when my decision stuck."
Beasley leaned heavily on his mother, Fatima Smith, and Martin in making his decision.
