Beasley Is Settling in at Notre Dame Prep

Ron Bailey, Publisher

October 3, 2006 – Consensus number one senior Michael Beasley is concluding his prodigious high school career at Fitchburg, MA’s Notre Dame Prep school. Reached yesterday, he seems to adjusting well to his new surroundings.

“It’s alright” said Beasley, regarding the school and it’s environment. “It’s not D.C., but it’s alright”.

He believes the team, coached by Bill Barton, will “be good this year”, as they have “seven or eight strong players”, including Baltimore products Johnny Higgins, who Michael indicated “is looking smooth as ever”, and Lyndon Jones, a swing man Michael thinks is “looking good”. Additionally, Beasley labeled New York swingman, Jamine ‘Greedy’ Peterson “A savage”, for his ability to attack the rims mercilessly.

Surprisingly Beasley indicated he has been playing “the two (shooting guard) and three (small forward)” since arriving at Notre Dame Prep, “three to four weeks ago”. That positioning is interesting, considering the young guy’s 6’9”, 230lb frame, and penchant for attacking the rim. When asked about this conundrum – a guy who will get his lunch so to speak around, or at least near, the rim playing on the perimeter - Michael clarified that his traditional power forward and center duties would not be shirked. “I will play with my back to the basket” he said. “But I’m not going to limit myself”.

Curtis Malone, Beasley’s AAU coach and mentor with DC Assault (AAU), likes what Notre Dame and its coach, Barton, provide. “It’s a good situation” offered Malone. “It’s a good coach up there that will push him. He will be coached. That means a lot. Everybody doesn’t coach (players)”.

Beasley, second from the bottom, came to basketball prominence with D.C. Assault - an AAU/travel team organization based in the Washington, DC metro area. (Photo courtesy of DC Assault)

During a recent weekend, Michael played at the New York area’s famed I.S. 8 tournament, with the Coney Island, Brooklyn-based Juice All-Stars. By all accounts Beasley did quite well, as the team won all of their games.

Beasley’s personal performance led him to comment “I murdered them (the competition)”. He liked playing with Juice in particular and in New York in general, but make no bones about it; his travel team/AAU heart is and always will be with DC Assault. “It was good, and got me off campus for awhile” said Michael about competing with Juice, “but it isn’t the Blue and Gold (DC Assault’s colors)”.

The young man, who not only honed his skills playing for Assault but also on the courts of Prince George’s County, MD – including Palmer Park, Columbia Park, Seat Pleasant, and Cedar Heights – was impressed with hoops in the Big Apple.

“They love basketball in DC, but you have the haters” who in his estimation, are not supportive and would like to see nothing but failure for others” shared Beasley. “In New York, everybody loves basketball. Everybody wants you to do well”.

Whether you agree with his assessment of New York being a bastion of positive vibes or not, Beasley’s stylistic comparison of hoops in D.C. and New York was spot on. “In D.C., we are chilled and laid back, but we get it done” Beasley opined. “In New York, they are all over the floor and hyped”.

Michael has verbally committed to Kansas State and their coach Bob Huggins. But before he gets to Manhattan, Kansas, Michael will have to finish his senior year in Fitchburg, playing for the demanding Barton. The experience will surely be good for him, as Barton is a known developer/refiner of talent, and Notre Dame Prep annually completes one of the most challenging schedules in America.

Beasley himself said the school affords the opportunity to focus on hoops and academics – though in not as isolated a setting as his former school, Oak Hill Academy. Expect him to continue to improve, which is a frightening thought to future foes.

Not only will he post, rebound, and hit mid-range jumpers, but increasingly sink shots out to three-ball range also. That's frightening, indeed.