Sports

Bradley Beal Has An NBA Decision To Make After NCAA Tourney

His high school coach tells Patch what would make the choice a "no-brainer"

Former standout Bradley Beal will get his first taste of the men's NCAA basketball tournament Friday. Still an open question is if he'll return to the University of Florida for an opportunity to do it next year as a Sophomore.

Beal's Gators take on the University of Virginia with the potential for a matchup Sunday with the Missouri Tigers. He averaged 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds and logged the most minutes on the floor in the regular season en route to an All-SEC campaign.

His numbers and a jump shot that scouts have said has been NBA-ready for awhile have Beal pegged in early mock drafts as anywhere from the sixth overall pick to the tenth overall.

Find out what's happening in Creve Coeurwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

His mother, Bessie, told The St. Louis Post Dispatch that he hasn't discussed it. "He gets asked all the time. At the free-throw line, when they're all bent over waiting to rebound, guys ask him, 'What are you going to do?' But we don't force him to talk about it," she told the paper, hoping he stays in school.

His high school coach, Kelvin Lee, told Patch he expects to sit down with Beal whenever the season ends to discuss the future. Lee said if there were a guarantee of being a top ten pick to him it would be a "no-brainer" to leave school.

Find out what's happening in Creve Coeurwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the meantime, Lee is predicting a Mizzou-Florida clash Sunday. The winner?

"Florida," Lee said with a chuckle. "I've got to stay loyal to Brad."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Creve Coeur