Malik Beasley’s time at the prestigious Saint Francis School near Atlanta didn’t exactly get off to the best of starts.
After attending public elementary and middle schools, Beasley admits he had to get used to the structure and discipline, as well as the rigorous academic curriculum, at Saint Francis.
“It was very strict,” Beasley recalled this week. “You had to wear a uniform, and if you didn’t wear a belt or if you didn’t have the right shirt, you could get in trouble. At first, I was like, ‘I can’t be here anymore. This is boring.' But at the end of the day, it turned out to be a great choice for me.”
It worked out pretty well for Saint Francis, too.
Beasley and the Knights would go on to be one of the elite basketball programs in Georgia, and he would be named the Class 1A Player of the Year. As a junior, Beasley became the first Saint Francis player ever to score 1,000 career points before his senior year. He then averaged more than 22 points and nearly seven rebounds a game during his final campaign.
The 6-foot, 5-inch shooting guard would parlay that success into a scholarship to Florida State, and after just one year there, he was selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. He became the first “one-and-done” player in Florida State history.
On Tuesday, Beasley will be back at Saint Francis, where it all started. School officials invited him to return so they could hold a ceremony to retire his No. 5 jersey. The purpose of the event will be to salute Beasley, but he feels equally appreciative of the school, its staff and the coaches he played for -- Drew Catlett and Cabral Huff.
“I’m just thankful to the people at St. Francis and also at Florida State for helping me get to this point,” Beasley said by phone from Denver on Thursday. “Saint Francis was an adjustment for me at first, no question. Having a uniform and not being able to show my swag (laughing) … I could only show it on Fridays.
“But the discipline there was amazing for me.”
Beasley will be free to make the trip back to Atlanta because the Nuggets aren't in the playoffs, and he doesn’t have to report back officially to Denver for another month.
That doesn’t mean he’s relaxing, however.
“Not really, because I'm grinding,” Beasley said, noting that he’s spending about five hours each day preparing for next season. That includes time on the court, in the weight room, working on his speed and agility, and even participating in yoga.
After splitting his rookie season between the Nuggets and the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA’s D-League, Beasley said the biggest adjustment has been learning how to best take care of his body.
“I definitely had to get used to the travel and making sure my body was right, eating the right stuff,” he said. “This was like playing my entire season at Florida State in like two months.”
Beasley flashed some of his potential in the D-League, where he averaged 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He only averaged 3.6 points in 23 games with the Nuggets, but he certainly finished with a bang.
After a late-season call-up for Denver’s final two games, Beasley scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds at Dallas and then scored 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting in a win at Oklahoma City. Nuggets coach Michael Malone also praised him for his defense.
“A lot of people asked me if I felt pressure or if I was nervous, and I really didn't,” Beasley said of the final two games. “The D-League had helped me get my repetitions ... and the game was easy to me. I felt like I was meant to be there, even though I didn't play all season."
After taking a brief break for the jersey retirement, Beasley plans to get back to preparing for his second season. He said his primary goals are improving his stamina, working on his ball-handling and also trying to become a defensive stopper.
“I don't want to just settle with where I'm at,” he said.
Beasley also is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for his former Florida State teammates and coaches. Sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon, freshman forward Jonathan Isaac and junior point guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes all declared early for the NBA Draft, so he’s eager to see how things work out for them.
Beasley also is well aware that Leonard Hamilton’s staff is trying to land two more high-profile recruits and make a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. He said he’s particularly excited to see how rising junior Terance Mann and the Seminoles’ other returning players improve heading into next season.
“The program is definitely taking a step forward,” Beasley said. “And not just because of me going to the draft and proving a one-and-done could be done at Florida State. Hopefully, we'll get a few more recruits in this class and we’ll move on from there. But whatever happens, Coach Ham is a great coach and they'll bounce back.”
