MANHATTAN, Kan. | Clent Stewart ranks in the top 10 in four career categories and Blake Young owns the longest consecutive-games-played streak.
James Franklin hasn’t seen much playing time, but hey, he’s the nephew of Kansas State’s first African-American student body president.
For them, it’s Senior Night. But the big question on everybody’s mind: Is tonight the going-away party for Michael Beasley, too?
This could be the last time Beasley and Bill Walker play at Bramlage Coliseum. The high-profile freshmen will be in action as K-State faces Colorado at 8 tonight at Bramlage Coliseum in the Wildcats’ final regular-season home game.
“It could be everybody’s last home game,” Beasley said following practice Monday. “Tomorrow’s not promised.”
And what about you, Bill?
“I don’t know,” Walker said. “I can’t speak on that right now because I really don’t know.”
On Monday, at a variety of Web sites, Beasley was listed as the No. 1 overall pick in this June’s NBA draft by the Miami Heat.
“It’s firmly on the radar that Beasley is the man,” said an NBA scout requesting anonymity. “He’s everywhere. For the last three months, everybody says he’s the first pick in the draft. Could he use some more maturity? Yes. But, really, what’s left for him to prove? He’s an animal out there.”
As for Walker, the scout believes he could go as early as late first round. NBADraft.net doesn’t have Walker being picked at all but three other mock drafts had him going late in the first. Although Walker has struggled lately and can be temperamental, none of that necessarily will prevent him from being chosen.
“We like the fire in him,” the scout said. “No one questions his toughness. But his mid-range jump shot could be more consistent.”
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, said if it doesn’t look as if he’ll be a first-round pick, he’ll “probably” come back.
“I’ve got room for improvement, so it wouldn’t hurt,” Walker said.
Beasley, who entering Monday was No. 3 nationally in scoring at 26.7 points per game and first in rebounding at 12.6, will be front and center during the postseason will-he-stay-or-will-he-go watch.
After the Wildcats fell for the fourth straight time Saturday night at Kansas, Beasley returned to Bramlage Coliseum and hoisted shots until almost 2 a.m.
“The managers are on call,” Beasley said. “I mean, I think they get annoyed sometimes because I wake them up at 4 o’clock in the morning. Hey, if I’ve got the urge to shoot, I’ve got to shoot. I’ve got to play, no matter what time.”
Beasley, though, doesn’t have much time for “the question.”
“It’s annoying,” Beasley said. “Everybody asks me the same exact question, and I give everybody the same exact answer. Everybody’s asking about the NBA. I’m still in college, man. I’ve still got games to play.”
Before the Texas game last week, K-State students chanted “one more year” when Beasley surfaced to warm up. That, in a way, upset him. Oh, he liked the premise. But he wondered why they stopped there.
“They said one more year. I thought college was for four,” Beasley said. “Why do you want me to stay one more year? Why not three?”
Walker wouldn’t blame Beasley for leaving after this year.
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