Draft Prospect Profiles: Michael Beasley

One of the most celebrated big men to come out of the college ranks in quite some time, Kansas State's Michael Beasley set the collegiate world on fire as a freshman on his way to establishing himself as a bona fide college basketball superstar. In doing so, he became a top-notch draft prospect, expected to go within the top couple picks in June's NBA draft, according to numerous sources that include ESPN and The Sporting News.

Beasley recorded one of the most astounding freshman years in NCAA history in his lone collegiate season before declaring himself as a candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 33 games on .532 shooting. He posted the second-highest rebound total by a freshman in NCAA history with 408 and the third-highest point total with 866.

A consensus All-American, Beasley was named Big 12 Player of the Year and finished second only to North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough in the majority of Player of the Year voting. He was, however, named Player of the Year by both CBSSports.com and Rivals.com.

The Kansas State star led the nation in six categories -- most notably rebounding, double-doubles (28), 40-point games (three) and 30-point games (13). Beasley became the third freshman in history to lead the nation in rebounding, and became the first player to post 28 or more double-doubles since Tim Duncan at Wake Forest in 1996-97.

The Washington native broke the freshman double-double record previously held by Carmelo Anthony. He also grabbed 20 boards in two separate games, and failed to record double-digit rebound totals in only four of his 33 games played.

In just one year, Beasley staked claim to 30 KSU career, single-season and freshman records in addition to 17 Big 12 single-game and single-season titles. He is both the school's and conference's all-time single-season leader in scoring average and double-doubles, and is also the single-season title holder for points and rebounds.

Most impressively, Beasley's stats translated to overall team success, as the 19-year-old led KSU to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years and its first tournament victory since 1988. Overall, the Wildcats finished with a 21-12 mark, good enough for a third-place finish in a competitive Big 12 that included NCAA champion Kansas.

A versatile player, Beasley projects to split time at the NBA level between the three and the four, although he played mostly power forward as a Wildcat. In addition to boasting a bevy of low-post moves, he can also score from anywhere on the court, shooting .379 from behind the arc.

Ambidextrous with a left-handed jump shot, Beasley is a big-time prospect who tends to shine in the spotlight. Playing against Kansas on March 1, Beasley almost single-handedly won the game for his underdog Wildcats scoring 39 points along with 11 boards and three blocks.

Overall, scouting services describe Beasley as an elite rebounder and superior athlete with deep, legitimate three-point range. He has a refined offensive skill set with a deep bag of tricks, so he can be a threat both inside and out. Defensively, he is a big body with a rangy, long wingspan and superb timing, and as a result is a pest to go up against.

Many scouts have compared Beasley to Amare Stoudemire, and he will need to make the most out of his assets as he attempts to jump to the ultimate level of competitive basketball.