Touted recruit Beasley to honor commitment to K-State
April 7, 2007
By Gary Parrish
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Michael Beasley will honor a signed national letter of intent with Kansas State and play for the Wildcats next season, his mother told CBS SportsLine.com on Saturday morning. The development should end rampant speculation to the contrary and serves as the first public confirmation that the MVP of last week's McDonald's All-American game will still enroll at KSU despite Bob Huggins leaving for West Virginia.
"It's just a small bump in the road," Fatima Smith, Beasley's mother, told CBS SportsLine.com by phone. "Everything is going to be fine. Michael is going to Kansas State."
Smith said her understanding is that Beasley and the Wildcats' entire recruiting class -- ranked No. 1 in the nation by many analysts -- will all enroll as planned, thanks largely to Kansas State's Friday promotion of assistant Frank Martin to head coach and assistant Dalonte Hill to associate head coach. Smith added that she had talked to Huggins in the past 48 hours and held no ill feelings.
"Huggs is a good man," Smith said. "I had no idea (he was going to leave), but I'm not going to say he made a bad decision or a wrong decision; I just think he made the best decision for himself and his family. So I understand. I always wanted an Escalade."
A 6-9 forward, Beasley is considered by some to be the top player in the Class of 2007. He averaged 28 points and 16 rebounds at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts this past season and in the confusion of Huggins' abrupt departure had said he was considering asking for a release from his letter of intent to perhaps enroll at another school. Some programs Beasley mentioned as possible destinations were Texas, Southern California and Memphis. However, none offered the Escalade and employment opportunities for Smith.
