Malik Beasley admitted he was taking a risk by declaring for the NBA Draft after just one season of college basketball.
On Thursday night, Beasley received the reward for that risk. The athletic shooting guard was selected by Denver Nuggets with the 19th overall pick in the draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He becomes the first Florida State player to be drafted since center Bernard James in 2012.
Beasley, who averaged 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a freshman with the Seminoles, attended the draft with his family and actually watched the selection from the green room.
Dressed in a garnet suit, a pink striped shirt, a paisley purple tie and a carnation on his lapel, Beasley hugged his family when his name was called.
He walked onto the stage and hugged NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Beasley then donned a Nuggets hat before speaking with ESPN's Lisa Salters.
Salters asked Beasley about a stress fracture he recently sustained in his right leg. He said the injury may have hurt his stock.
"It hurt a little bit because I couldn't compete against other guards and compete against other people [in pre-draft workouts]," Beasley said. "Thank you to Denver for giving me an opportunity. The interviews were great, and I'm glad to be here."
The Nuggets were one of several NBA franchises who sent scouts to follow Beasley and teammate Dwayne Bacon last season; Bacon opted to stay at Florida State for his sophomore year. A Nuggets scout actually followed the Seminoles and scouted Beasley for three games back in December.
Beasley is the fourth FSU player to be selected in the first round under head coach Leonard Hamilton. The other three were forward Chris Singleton (2011), guard Toney Douglas (2009) and forward Al Thornton (2007).
Beasley's lone season in Tallahassee left a mark.
He began by scoring at least 10 points in 24 consecutive games. He was two games shy of tying former Georgia Tech star Stephon Marbury's ACC-best 26-game streak.
Beasley finished the season averaging 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds. He shot 47.1 percent from the floor and converted 38.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. Beasley also knocked down 81.3 percent of his free throws.
“This is a perfect situation for Malik,” Hamilton said in a release from FSU late Thursday. “The Nuggets play a style of ball that fits his skills. It’s a perfect situation for him.”
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