BREAKING: Reece Beekman is entering his name in the NBA Draft while maintaining eligibility

Mar 30, 2023 - 6:28 PM

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After an altogether solid junior season where he was hampered by a hamstring injury for the majority of conference play but still flashed improvement as a scorer and a shooter, the Virginia Cavaliers’ point guard Reece Beekman has announced that he will be testing the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility with the option to return to Charlottesville for a fourth year.

This is the expected decision from Beekman. His draft stock has been fluctuating from the later picks of the second round, to closer to the first round, and then back down to the depths of the 60 picks in the latter half of the college basketball season. His instincts as a player, incredible defensive acumen, and heady offensive play complemented by a developing scoring threat make him a potentially solid rotational player in the NBA.

Obviously, his shooting leaves much to be desired (from the league’s perspective) and he’ll need to become more of a three-level scorer. Returnning for another year as a Wahoo could allow him to do that, display such an ability, and lead the offense with Kihei Clark gone. If he succeeded in doing so, perhaps he could get himself up into the first round of the draft and ensure himself a guaranteed contract that only first round picks receive.

Granted, his stock could also rise over the next month as teams get a closer look at Beekman presumedly through team workouts and the NBA Combine. UVA fans will remember how Trey Murphy’s draft stock shot up after he declared to the point where he became the 17th overall selection back in 2021.

For Beekman to return to Virginia next season, he’ll have to withdraw from the draft on May 31st or, if he stayed in but went un-drafted, he could return to Charlottesville then as well. Obviously, even beyond Beekman individually, considering the three transfers who have already left Virginia and the potential for Armaan Franklin to leave as well, Beekman’s decision will play a huge part in next season’s roster construction.