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| Michael Beasley - NBA Team: Heat Previous Team: Kansas State, Freshman |
| Physicals: |
| H: 6' 9" |
| W: 235 lbs |
| Bday: 01/09/1989 | | (19 Years Old) |
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| Positions: |
| Current: PF |
| NBA: PF |
| Possible: SF/PF |
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| Agent:
SELF
Current Salary:
$4,314,960
| Comparisons: |
| Best Case: Amare Stoudemire Meets Antawn Jamison |
| Worst Case: Derrick Coleman |
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| Misc: |
| High School: Notre Dame Prep |
| Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD |
| Drafted:
Rnd 1, Pick 2 in 2008 by Heat |
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| Basic Per Game Statistics - Comprehensive Stats - Statistical Top 25s |
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| AT A GLANCE - Michael Beasley |
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Strengths:
• Ambidextrous
• Quickness
• Strength
• Body control
• Fluidity/Agility
• Hands
• Unbelievable scoring instincts
• Ability to face the basket
• First step
• Ball-handling skills
• Ability to create shot
• Finishing with either hand
• Pull-up jumper
• Back to the basket skills
• Rebounding
• Mismatch ability
• Go-to guy
• Incredible productivity
• 3-point range
• Upside
Weaknesses:
• Size for PF position
• Team play
• Shot-selection
• Defense
• Focus
• Off-court red flags?
• Attitude?
• Winning mentality? |
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Orlando Summer League, Day Two
July 9, 2008
Michael Beasley was about as awful as you can get for most of the way. At the end of the first half he was 0 for 9, with 5 fouls and 5 turnovers. He finished 1-13 on the day. Beasley was given fits by the length and agility of Sean Williams, one of the few players who is able to move his feet quick enough and contest his shots on the perimeter, but still strong and big enough to battle with him inside. Beasley settled too much for his outside jumper, looking very frustrated throughout, which lead to some traveling calls, offensive fouls and even blow layups. It was definitely a good learning experience for him. Defensively he looked extremely poor on the pick and roll, and did not do a good job moving his feet to stay in front of players challenging him off the dribble from the perimeter.
All in all, a very forgettable performance, but certainly the type of experience he will have to learn from, as he learns what parts of his game can translate to a much higher level of competition than he’s ever faced—where everyone is much bigger, stronger, longer and more athletic than he’s ever seen—and what doesn’t. He just needs to not let things bother him as much as he did, because there really aren’t many physical specimens like Sean Williams anywhere in the world.
 [Read Full Article]
Orlando Summer League, Day One
July 8, 2008
It’s hard to envision a stronger first outing for the #2 overall pick than this, even if he started out a bit slow in the first half. Beasley pretty much had every play run for him today, and he did not disappoint in the least bit, scoring in a variety of different ways and showing that incredible amount of offensive talent that had scouts drooling over him all season long at Kansas State.
Beasley’s ability to create his own shot from the perimeter puts him in an elite class of players from day one amongst power forwards in the NBA. His ball-handling skills, first step, body control in the lane and finishing skills with either hand are remarkable, and he simply toyed with defenders all game long here against Chicago. Joakim Noah actually did a fairly admirable job trying to guard him, but just was unable to slow him down. He changed directions on the fly, established the threat of the outside shot early on, pulled off the dribble beautifully, and took it all the way to the rim when his man thought he finally had him figured out. The versatility he displayed offensively was simply off the charts.
We’re looking forward to seeing what else he has up his sleeve in the coming days.
[Read Full Article]
Interviews with Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley
June 1, 2008
Reporter: Derrick Rose said you’re a lot better player than him.
Michael Beasley: Why would he say that?
Reporter: We asked him…
Michael Beasley: He led his team to the Championship game, I wouldn’t say all that.
[Read Full Article]
Bad News for Those Who Didn’t Do Their Homework Early...
March 26, 2008
Beasley’s NCAA tournament experience probably didn’t start or end quite the way he expected it to. He picked up two quick fouls in the first four minutes of his first game against Southern Cal, and only ended up scoring five points in the first half of that game. He recovered to pump in 18 after intermission, though, showing his incredible scoring instincts by creating his own shot from the perimeter and finishing with either hand in a variety of ways, his awesome first step and shooting range, as well as his phenomenal hands and touch around the rim. He didn’t go down in the paint as much as we’re normally accustomed to seeing him, preferring to face the basket and quickly take players off the dribble instead, likely to avoid the problems his guards usually have with making quality post-entry passes, as well as the barrage of double-teams he usually sees down low.
#11 seed Kansas State moved on to face #3 seed Wisconsin, a team that ended up being just too smart, disciplined, fundamental and well-coached for them to handle. He started off the game well, but did not show great poise down the stretch against this extremely stingy defensive team, forcing the issue even more than he typically does, driving into bricks walls in the lane in out of control fashion, and settling for off-balance fade-aways from outside, which just wouldn’t fall for him in the second half. He played extremely poorly on the defensive end in particular, which has been his biggest weakness all season long. He at times struggles to maintain his focus on both ends of the floor, losing his concentration and making poor decisions. He contributed very little to his team in the second half, but one poor stretch of basketball obviously doesn’t erase an entire season of fantastic play, so he still looks like the sure-fire #1 pick barring any major surprises.
[Read Full Article]
Marquee Matchup: Michael Beasley vs. Blake Griffin
January 13, 2008
Taking a look at Beasley first, there was much concern about his defensive awareness and effort in our first look at his game earlier in the season, but his defensive effort has been much improved over the past few games, and is hopefully something that will continue through conference play. There seemed to be a lot of “going through the motions” defensively earlier in the season with Beasley, but his aggressiveness has been much better of late, with him getting into tougher defensive stances, contesting more outside shots, and fighting a little harder to hold position in the post.
With that said, there is still much concern about his defensive awareness, as even though he’s clearly trying harder, he can still look like a fish out of water here at times. He reminds of Drew Gooden a lot on the defensive end, in that he has the length and athleticism to occasionally make some impact plays, but can often look a little lost or confused, making some questionable decisions and not showing the greatest awareness of what’s going on around him. It’s obviously early in his development, though, and there is much room for improvement, especially if he is going to consistently devote the effort necessary on this end of the floor, and try to focus more with his awareness. Consistently doing these things would take Beasley to the next level as a prospect in the eyes of many, though it’s no sure thing that he does.
On the offensive end, this game was an important step for Beasley, as he showed he’s capable of outstanding performances against legitimate competition. Longar Longar and Blake Griffin may not put fear in the hearts of NBA players as defensive difference makers, but regardless, both of them are at an NBA level in terms of size and athleticism, and Beasley showed no problem scoring against both of them. This game told us a lot more about Beasley’s potential than his dominant performances against Sacramento State and Winston-Salem, for example.
There are still some legitimate question marks about Beasley’s game when projecting to the next level, though, notably what position he’s ideally suited for. At 6’9, he’d be slightly undersized for a power forward, but his strong rebounding and length and athleticism may lend himself better to that position than the small forward position. In the early going, he also looks more competent defending the post than the perimeter. There are also some questions about how he’s going to get off his turnaround jumper in the post against larger, more athletic defenders, as he has already showed some trouble there when matched up with California big man Devon Hardin.
[Read Full Article]
NCAA Weekly Performers -- Freshmen Edition, Part One
November 23, 2007
Michael Beasley is off to one of the most impressive starts of any freshman in recent memory, absolutely bulldozing his way through a slew of mediocre competition to put together a stat-line that has box-score reading pundits everywhere salivating. Considering the physical superiority Beasley possesses over the low-major and Division II opponents he’s been facing, it probably wouldn’t be fair to expect him to continue to dominate at quite the level he has so far once he starts picking on people his own size, but it’s absolutely obvious from what we can observe on tape that we’re dealing with an incredibly special talent.
Beasley is a prototypical face the basket modern-day power forward. He is strong, but incredibly quick, possessing the type of agile first step that makes him an absolutely devastating threat creating his own shot from the perimeter. Kansas State is utilizing him a great deal at the top of the key on Isolation plays, where the lefty likes to take his man off the dribble with his smooth ball-handling skills and finish with either with and a variety of pretty floaters and layups. He has incredible body control to get the job done on these types of drives, handling the ball in the open floor like a guard, and at times pulling up off the dribble fluidly from mid-range with the greatest of ease.
Had Beasley settled for displaying his typical array of perimeter talent, mixed in with a steady dose of post-ups letting him utilize his quickness on the left block, he might have finished his first three games with a solid 20 and 10. He’s managed to pad his stats incredibly though by crashing the offensive glass like a man possessed, indeed grabbing nearly 9 per game so far. That’s the primary reason why he’s managed to get himself into the 30 and 20 range, which is in itself a pretty incredible feat. Beasley has just been bigger, stronger, quicker and more explosive than all of his opponents so far, allowing him to absolutely dominate the offensive glass. But he’s also stood out nicely with the terrific coordination he possesses, as well as with his awesome hands and reaction time.
We’ve seen a fair share of Beasley-esque plays where he forces the issue and tries to do too much out on the perimeter (for example an ill-advised double-clutch pull-up fadeaway jumper), but he’s been able to make up for his mistakes largely by just rebounding his own misses and putting them back in. Beasley was known to be somewhat of a selfish player in high school at times, and from what we could tell from the game footage we evaluated early on, he’s not quite shedding that label quite yet. The ball-movement often stops once it reaches his hands, and oftentimes it seems like he is going to take the ball at shoot it no matter what, regardless of how the play develops around him. That’s something some NBA scouts won’t mind at all, while others will hope he’ll grow out of as he continues to mature.
Defensively, there is absolutely no way around the fact that Beasley has looked awful so far--not really a surprise considering his reputation coming into college. Even when he tries to put in a legit effort, he looks unfocused--almost completely lost-- constantly out of position, and too often caught with his hand in the cookie jar gambling for steals. He doesn’t always put in that legit effort, though, as it’s not rare to see him looking a bit lazy running the floor to get back, particularly in transition situations. Again, some scouts will shake their heads at these types of things, while others will chalk it up to youth and inexperience.
We’re only starting to write the book on Michael Beasley’s freshman campaign, so let’s see how he progresses as the competition stiffens over the next few weeks. His first major test will be at home at the end of the month against Oregon.
[Read Full Article]
U-19 World Championship: Early Rounds
July 20, 2007
If we talk about potential, one guy stands above the rest: Michael Beasley. A very well known NBA prospect by now, Beasley is living up to the hype with some excellent showings. He’s a super-athletic, explosive and extremely smooth player-- very strong, ripped, displaying a perfect basketball body. Not the longest guy around if we talk about a power forward, the position where he’s evolving here, he’s every inch of the 6-8 feet he’s listed here, and looks like a very legit 6-9 in shoes.
Beasley is doing his biggest damage in the paint, working off the ball, often continuing moves from the elbow or the baseline to finish with acrobatic layups. He’s a flat-out impressive finisher around the rim. He perfectly uses both hands, and his ability to hang in the air with the balance he shows there allows him to work to avoid almost every opponent’s attempt to challenge him. He’s just a majestic player evolving off the ground. Although not prolific in this area, he’s eventually putting the ball on the floor and taking advantage of his quickness and coordination to beat his matchups, often using very quick reverse moves and showing excellent footwork in the process. He can also hit his left-handed jumper with range out to the three-point line, although he’s struggling from the perimeter. Still, he shows a notable ability to create separation in turnaround fashion and shoot over his opponent.
It’s not only about scoring points. Beasley is not forcing his plays either. He shares the ball reasonably, doing nice defensive work while cleaning the boards, particularly on the offensive glass. Considering his star status at this level, he’s a pretty nice example of how things are working out for the US team.
[Read Full Article]
Nike Hoop Summit Team USA Player Recap (Part Three: The Big Men)
April 25, 2007
It wasn’t Beasley’s day, to put it mildly. And having found out about Bob Huggins’ decision to jump ship after a practice earlier in the week, he actually has an excuse. This time. There were flashes of the immensely talented forward’s potential, but little that translated into tangible help for Team USA or individual production. It isn’t as if mailed it in (like he has been known to do at times), as he still was a physical force in the paint and very difficult for the International team to deal with. But his individual-oriented offensive style and rushed perimeter shots certainly stood out on an all-star team that for the most part played like a real one.
The first thing you notice about Beasley is the sculpted, remarkably mature, 6’9 frame. High schoolers just aren’t supposed to be this strong. He has the natural strength to push plenty of NBA big men around, and he’s not at all pudgy like many thicker big guys at this stage. Beasley carries the bulk remarkably well, capable of gliding up and down the court and changing directions well enough to eventually play quite a bit of wing. He is an explosive leaper and really knows how use his strength – he bounces off opposing defenders in the paint to create separation for his arsenal mid-post scoring moves.
Unfortunately, this is where Beasley slipped up in the Hoop Summit game. Early on, he missed a couple of easy buckets, perhaps bothered by the length of the international team. Instead of continuing to pound the ball inside, Beasley began to rush contested midrange jumpers, failing to put his considerable strength and athleticism advantage to good use. These types of shots will eventually become his bread and butter in the NBA, but this wasn’t the setting that he needed to be firing away without discretion. But fire away he did, shooting just 3-15 from the field and 2-6 from the line on the afternoon.
There were still positives to be found here. Beasley battled hard on the boards in the 23 minutes he played, clearly a man amongst boys in this department. He finished with 9, and pretty much had his way physically – this isn’t going to be changing at the college level, and probably not at the NBA level either. There was an emphatic block and a couple of nice open court passes as well.
All in all, Beasley is still a high risk/high reward type of prospect. On one hand, his mental consistency and approach to the game have been may always be. Games like the Hoop Summit are going to happen, and Beasley will have to learn how to play through them. On the other, Beasley has obviously put in a lot of work on his game. His body is chiseled and his skill set polished. He is much more than just a raw athlete, able to beat just about any defender imaginable in some way or another, and having a good feel for how to find that edge in the middle of a play.
2007-2008 Outlook: It should be interesting to see how Beasley matures mentally over the next year. He has the talent to make a Kevin Durant-level (well, not quite Kevin Durant level) impact, but scouts will be looking for more than just a gaudy scoring average. With Beasley and Walker sharing the court, it should be quite the circus in Manhattan. Beasley has to display that he is committed to working hard every night to cement his status in the top half of the lottery, and this is a prospect that could go in either direction. But the Big XII appears to be fairly wide open yet again and Dalonte Hill is helping run the show, so a content Beasley could very easily lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament berth.
[Read Full Article]
Nike Hoop Summit: USA Thursday Practice
April 6, 2007
With the absence of Kevin Love, Michael Beasley once again found himself a man amongst boys in the post. The much-hyped forward dazzled with his touch and awareness around the basket, and pretty much had his way physically. Beasley really doesn’t fit into any stereotypical molds in terms of position or projected future, but really knows his way around the mid-post. His physical maturity really stood out even in this most competitive of settings, and whichever college coach does end up with his services next year is getting a player that can do pretty much whatever he wants whenever he wants. Sometimes this amounts to not playing defense and lollygagging up and down the floor, but a motivated Beasley isn’t going to find many worthy adversaries at the college level this fall. And until late in the practice, Beasley did a great job of staying focused and aggressive.
[Read Full Article]
2007 McDonald's All America Game: Player Breakdowns
March 29, 2007
The MVP of this game, and rightfully so considering the way he dominated in the 20 minutes he played, Michael Beasley did a marvelous job displaying his entire arsenal of skills. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that if this were two years ago and players were still allowed to enter the draft out of high school, this performance would have locked him into the top 5-10 spots of this year’s draft. Unfortunately for Beasley (or not depending on your perspective), he’ll be heading to Kansas State, where he has a chance to take the Big 12 by storm in a way that will have many people comparing him to Kevin Durant.
An athletic combo forward who can play equally well in the post or on the perimeter, Beasley decided to start off this game going outside-in to show off his skill-set. He knocked down one 3-pointer from close to NBA range, and then followed that up with another from college range. Both looked smooth and effortless coming off his hands. He also handled the ball in transition looking like a true small forward, although the crafty guards of the West did do a good job sneaking up from behind him to try and poke the ball out.
Beasley also did a wonderful job creating his own shot from the perimeter, putting the ball on the floor with a quick first step and getting to the rim with the greatest of ease. Granted there wasn’t much defense being played by the East, but it’s impressive regardless to see a guy that size create for himself like a guard, and then finish with a pretty left-handed floater. Even though he had every reason to, he didn’t force the issue at all in his time on the floor, making the extra pass and showing a very good attitude around his teammates throughout.
Where Beasley was at his best, though, was down in the paint scrapping for offensive rebounds. He gets off the floor so quickly and has such great reaction time that no one was really able to keep a body on him when taking his frame and strength into consideration. He produced in this fashion with put-backs, tip-ins and just by cleaning up the old-fashioned way. At times, Beasley even got into a stance and played some defense, being fairly effective defending his position.
All in all, Beasley was the well deserving MVP of this game. If he keeps his head on straight and has the type of season we all know he can under Bob Huggins at Kansas State, there is really no limit on how high in the draft he could end up going.
[Read Full Article]
McDonald's All America Game Practices: Day Two
March 27, 2007
While Beasley played absolutely zero defense, he was downright fantastic on the offensive end. He made a few incredible plays for a 6’9 player, handling the ball in the open floor and gliding through the air to the rim as if he were a 6’4 guard. The Kansas State recruit exerted more effort today then he did in Sunday’s practice, but still seemed to lose focus at times. However, when Beasley decided he wanted to play, the offensive performance that he put on was honestly scary given his size, skill level, and athleticism.
[Read Full Article]
McDonald's All America Game Practices: Day One
March 26, 2007
Beasley showed off his freakish athleticism in the three on two, two on one drills where he threw the ball off of the glass to himself for an amazing dunk over an unsuspecting teammate. He coasted a bit through some of the drills, but his remarkable skill set was on center stage on Sunday. Coach Taylor was forced to motivate Mike at times when he began to play lackadaisically, which is when the Notre Dame Prep forward started to turn it on. He hit a few NBA three pointers, put the ball on the floor well, and glided through the air like a 757 when going to the rim. While he may not have been the most productive player on the floor for his team in day one, he certainly left many in attendance drooling at the potential player he can be by the time it is all said and done.
[Read Full Article]
National Prep Showcase-- Day Two
November 19, 2006
Beasley showed everyone in attendance in Worcester why he is the number two player in the country, putting on a dominant performance in Notre Dame’s narrow win over Hargrave Military Academy. He truly only played inspired for about half of the game, still managing to yield 19 points and 12 rebounds. Fans and coaches alike were left pondering how good the Notre Dame senior could be if he didn’t coast so much, and the thought of Mike playing hard for an entire game is a scary thought, considering how dominant he can be going only half speed.
The former Oak Hill product’s offensive prowess was felt immediately, as he asserted himself on the offensive glass from the time the ball was tipped. He jumps far too quick and far too high for opposing players to stop from rebounding unless they put a body on him, and Hargrave’s Jeff Allen and Eric Wallace made the mistake of thinking they could out jump Beasley. His athletic prowess did not stop there, as he showed off remarkable quickness for a 6’9 player during his drives to the basket, spinning off defenders in an absolute blur and finishing above the rim. The body control that he displayed when in the air would have been remarkable even for a point guard, and we were looking at a power forward who was this graceful when airborn.
It was quite impressive to see how well Michael was able to defend on the perimeter, when he wanted to exert effort on the defensive end. He was able to keep in front of anyone Hargrave threw at him, whether it be PF Jeff Allen or shooting guard Jordan Crawford. He actually asserted his length and athleticism on the defensive end today, registering multiple deflections and altering a ton of shots. Beasley has the potential to become a very good defender at the college level if he chooses to exert more effort more often, and attempts to grasp the concept of team defense as a whole.
This just showed college coaches, recruiting gurus, and fans alike that Michael Beasley will be as good as Michael Beasley wants to be. If he wants to play like a future NBA all star, we will see an all star in the making on the court. If he wants to play the loathing big man role, we will see an athletic marvel on the floor accomplishing only a small fraction of what he has the potential to. It must be noted that Beasley played significantly harder on both ends of the floor when touching the ball on offense, so if you are listening Bob Huggins, start developing some offensive sets to utilize your ultra talented forward so we can finally see him live up to his fullest potential.
[Read Full Article]
National Prep Showcase-- Day One
November 18, 2006
Michael Beasley showed off the two sides of where he stands in his development as of right now—the good and the ugly. The ugly lasted for the first 30 minutes of the game, where he did not hit a single field goal and only pulled down a handful of rebounds. He did not get the type of minutes you’d expect the #1 player in the country (according to Rivals.com) would-- and when he was on the floor, he was very much uninvolved in Notre Dame Prep’s offense. Beasley spent most of his time on the perimeter in the first half, not really looking to hit the glass and looking extremely out of focus as he missed free throws and constantly looked over his shoulder at the bench in hopes of not being replaced.
Up until the 10 minute point in the 2nd half, Beasley did not snap out of his funk, partially due to the fact that he was not in the game for the most part. His extended stay on the bench lit a bit of a fire underneath him it seemed, and we saw a completely different player enter the game and change its complexion completely with 9 minutes to go. Beasley started off by attacking the offensive glass with reckless abandon and using his terrific quickness to finish creatively around the paint. His fantastic leaping ability and the sheer quickness in which he’s able to elevate off the floor were on full display, and this coupled with his excellent body and strength allowed him to sway the tide of the game in his team’s favor.
Beasley ended up finishing the game with a somewhat underwhelming 11 points (2-6 FG, 7-10 FT) and 7 rebounds in just 22 minutes. He did a nice job getting in the passing lanes with 3 steals, and did a better job finding open teammates and playing unselfishly than his 2 assists would indicate. He did not force the issue and generally showed a good attitude within the team concept, talking to his teammates on defense and pumping them up with the game stopped.
The thing he didn’t show was his perimeter game. All of his offense came either right at the hoop or from the free throw line, and the lone jumper he took looked good but did not fall. There’s no doubting his talent from what we saw today, but he’ll have to show more tomorrow to justify his lofty ranking in some of the recruiting services.
[Read Full Article]
Las Vegas AAU Summer Tournaments: Thoughts from Day Three
July 25, 2006
After watching Michael Beasley for two days, it is clear that the multi-talented forward is very much a high-risk, high-reward type of prospect. Beasley has every tool you could ask for in a professional forward prospect. His athleticism is top-tier, his body NBA-ready, his skill level downright scary-advanced. He creates his own shot with machine-like efficiency in the midrange, hits the 3-pointer, and is an adequate ball-handler and brilliant passer in the open-court. Simply put, Beasley makes the spectacular look easy. Based on pure talent, there is little doubt that he could star at either forward position at the highest level someday.
However, several red flags having nothing to do with raw talent are readily obvious in observing Beasley in the AAU setting. Beasley has all the tools to dominate this setting without breaking a sweat, but rarely does. This can be explained by the fact that he has three other McDonald’s All-American candidates on his team, but Beasley should ought to be leading this team in scoring. The reality is that he is probably the fourth most productive member of DC Assault, behind Nolan Smith, Austin Freeman, and Julian Vaughn. There are highly regarded players here in Vegas much more tentative that Beasley, but he doesn’t give consistent effort. He is very comfortable blending into the background, picking up garbage points with his athleticism and throwing in a nice midrange scoring move on occasion. Beasley clearly needs to work on his attitude, apparently more concerned with jawing at the officials than making plays in the second game we saw.
Bob Huggins could be the best thing that has happened to Michael Beasley thus far in his short basketball career. Huggins is unlikely to put up with Beasley’s inconsistent effort and attitude issues. If Beasley buys in and becomes Huggins’ prototypical player, he will undoubtedly leave Kansas State with a spot in the top five waiting for him. The fact that Beasley will be the Wildcats’ undisputed number one option makes it even more likely that his college stay will be a short one. At the same time, it is easy to see Beasley clashing with Huggins’ intensity. It remains to be seen where Michael Beasley will end up, but it is very clear that his path will be very much worth following.
[Read Full Article]
The Unofficial High School National Championship
February 24, 2006
Beasley, who we featured in December, was not really the focus of Oak Hill’s offense with Tywon Lawson back. He did however show why scouts absolutely love his package of skills. Like when we saw him in December, Beasley showed off world-class athleticism in warm-ups with an incredible dunk repertoire. When the game came around, he was incredibly active, crashing the glass extremely hard and blocking and/or altering numerous North College Hill players’ shots. Beasley also did a great job finding open teammates, showing the necessary passing skills to make the eventual transition to small forward.
The main problem with Beasley is that he gets noticeably frustrated when he doesn’t get touches, and it throws his entire game off. This was the case early in the game, but after he got his first points, he was a totally different player. Mike’s hands didn’t really look too good tonight as well, as he dropped or bobbled quite a few passes.
In my mind, Beasley is hands down the third best junior in the country behind Mayo and Walker. He is a world class athlete, has very good size, and has the skills to play both perimeter positions. Mike uses both hands incredibly well around the basket, and can really change the game when he plays inspired. His body and wingspan are very good, with a frame that can easily add 20-30 lbs to it. It’s really going to be fun to watch how Beasley does when he makes his way to Charlotte in 2007, as some people think that he will be the best player in the Atlantic-10 already in his freshman year.
[Read Full Article]
High School Roadtrip: Scouting Brandan Wright and Michael Beasley
December 14, 2005
While Beasley did not put up his normal dominant numbers, it was clear to just about any observer that he was easily the most talented player on the floor. Regarded by most as a top three member of the class of 2007 (along with O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker), the Oak Hill junior possesses the combination of a lethal post game of a power forward along with solid shooting and ball handling skills that enable him to play small forward when needed. Beasley has freakish athleticism and maintains very nice post moves, making him a nightmare down low for opposing small forwards. While his inside game is definitely his strong suit, Beasley’s outside game is what has allowed him to jump so high into the rankings. He is truly one of the few legitimate “combo forwards” who can play both the SF and PF position very effectively. Speaking to him after the game, it was very refreshing to finally hear a player this versatile realize that their future will be in the paint first and foremost, and on the perimeter second.
 | | Joel Richardson/ The Washington Post |
On the defensive side of things, Beasley is a very good defender in the low post. He fights for position, boxes out well, and plays nice team defense. When he steps out to the perimeter, he struggles a bit guarding quicker small forwards, but this is something his coaches at Charlotte will surely work with him on as soon as he steps foot on campus. Physically, Beasley has a nice frame that could very easily add 20 or so pounds without diminishing his athleticism one bit. It must me noted that at times the Oak Hill junior does get a bit frustrated when his guards fail to get him the ball, and his effort does drop a bit. Again though, if Steve Smith and his staff don’t correct this within the next two years, it should be corrected immediately once he steps foot on Charlotte’s campus.
Michael Beasley Interview
DraftExpress: It was a pretty surprising decision when you committed to UNC-Charlotte so early. Can you tell me why you decided to commit so young?
Michael Beasley: It’s a good school. It’s a different style of play. They run the ball. It isn’t like a Duke or a UNC, but it’s still a big D-1, but without all of the All Americans…All the McDonald’s All Americans, so I can play right away.
DraftExpress: Being a top five player, you could have probably went to any school in the country. Why did you decide to attend a less heralded university as opposed to a UNC or Duke?
Michael Beasley: Because I don’t want to go to a real big school with the real big players…With three or four McDonald’s All Americans coming in every year that I have to sit behind and not play. I want to get in and make a difference really quick.
DraftExpress: Being ranked as a top five player in the country, can you give fans a little insight about what your recruiting process was like?
Michael Beasley: It was plain and simple actually. My old AAU coach, we’re really good friends, when he went there…that’s when I really started looking at them. I was already looking at them, but that’s when I really started looking at them. I started looking at some schools and I found out that this school is for me. I went to the campus and everyone was showing me love…that’s when I found out that this school is for me.
DraftExpress: What position do you think you’ll be playing at Charlotte?
Michael Beasley: The four and a little three.
DraftExpress: What areas of your game do you think you’re really going to have to improve upon before you get to Charlotte?
Michael Beasley: My free throws and ball handling I guess.
DraftExpress: Not that it will affect you at all, but what are your thoughts on the NBA’s mandatory age requirement?
Michael Beasley: I mean, for me personally, I really don’t care about it. I was planning on going to college anyway. I plan on going to the NBA, but I plan on getting my education first.
DraftExpress: So even if the age limit hadn’t been put in, you wouldn’t have even thought of going to the NBA out of high school?
Michael Beasley: No. Unless I was the number one pick.
DraftExpress: Are there any players that you pattern your game after?
Michael Beasley: Me.
DraftExpress: Well if you had to name a player who your style of play is similar to, who would that be?
Michael Beasley: Hmm…Uhh…Lamar Odom.
DraftExpress: How much do you feel that the year or two or four that you spend at Charlotte is going to help your game?
Michael Beasley: It’s going to help me a lot. They’re going to have me in the weight room getting stronger. I know they’re going to have me waking up early in the morning every day working on my handle. It’s going to help me a lot. It’s going to help me move to the 3 and 4 for when I go to the NBA.
DraftExpress: Has it been a bit of a relief with committing so early that you don’t have to deal with all of the recruiting sites calling you every week and colleges sending you mail everyday anymore?
Michael Beasley: Oh no, it still happens (laughs). I’ve been committed since right after 8th grade, and letters still come every day. It still happens. It ain’t over.
DraftExpress: So say that you’ve done a year, two or four at Charlotte and entered the Draft. If I’m an NBA GM, why am I going to pick you? What is so intriguing about you that is going to make me select you?
Michael Beasley: My will to win.
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