Kansas State basketball star Michael Beasley has decided to take his game to the next level.

Calgary Herald
Following a stellar freshman season in which he was a finalist for the Wooden Award, Beasley announced Monday he will enter the NBA draft.

Sitting alongside Kansas State coach Frank Martin at Bramlage Coliseum, Beasley fought off a case of the giggles to declare he would forgo his remaining three years of college eligibility.

Projected as one of the U.S.'s top freshman at the start of the season, Beasley did not disappoint, finishing first in the nation in rebounding (12.4 rpg) and third in scoring (26.2 ppg). He was named the Big 12 player of the year.

Associated Press
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley plans to announce whether he will enter the NBA draft at a Monday news conference on campus.

While Beasley is expected to be the first pick in the June 26 draft if he declares, the consensus All-American is apparently having a tough enough time deciding that advisers and family members gathered over the weekend to help him make a choice before his self-imposed 5 p.m. CDT deadline.

Nobody doubts his NBA potential. Quick, strong and agile, the 6-foot-10 power forward had the second-most rebounds and third-most points of any freshman in NCAA history and led the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years.

"There's no question in my mind who the best player in the country is," said Kansas coach Bill Self. "It's Michael Beasley. He may not win all the player of the year awards, but he's the best player."

Kansas State coach Frank Martin has made no secret of his advice for Beasley.

"I think he's going to go, and I think it's the right thing to do, because he's going to be the top pick in the draft," Martin said in an interview with The Associated Press.

His friends know Beasley as a big, playful kid who will jolt teammates out of bed in the morning by shooting them with a water pistol. Opposing players know him as the bruising forward who averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds.

The day he arrived at Kansas State as the most highly advertised recruit in school history, he talked about sticking around.

"I don't want to be an athletic student," he said. "I want to be a student-athlete."

Nevertheless, most fans and basketball experts believe Beasley will turn pro no matter how much he enjoys college life.

"In life, you only have so many opportunities for certain things," Martin said. "He's got a huge opportunity right now. But there are a whole lot of different factors that go into play when you've got to make a hard decision. He's got to make sure he does what's best for himself and his family."

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