Busting Brackets
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Virginia Basketball: Breaking down the 2020 recruiting class for the Cavaliers

By Lukas Harkins

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 28: Head coach Tony Bennett of the the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a play in the first half during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at John Paul Jones Arena on January 28, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 28: Head coach Tony Bennett of the the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a play in the first half during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at John Paul Jones Arena on January 28, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – JANUARY 20: Coach Bennett of UVA reacts. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – JANUARY 20: Coach Bennett of UVA reacts. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Reece Beekman (Baton Rouge, LA)

PG | 6-foot-2 | 160 lbs | No. 60 overall

Reece Beekman is one of the most rock-solid and well-rounded point guard prospects in the entire 2020 recruiting class. He ranks at No. 8 in the class at the lead guard spot and is the type of two-way contributor that fits the mold of a very strong addition to the Virginia program. Beekman is fresh off being named Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball to finish his decorated high school career and simply does just about everything well on the floor as a high-impact guard.

On the offensive end, Beekman is a high-level creator that rarely forces the issue with risky decisions. This much was evident as he guided Phenom University (WI), one of the most potent offenses on the Nike EYBL circuit. He played alongside a pair of five-star talents on that team (Patrick Baldwin and Jalen Johnson) and kept everyone involved in the offense by dishing 6.0 assists to just 1.5 turnovers per game.

While Beekman is mostly known for his careful distributing, he can also be a reliable scoring threat at all three levels. If teams choose to defend his passing, he can be quite deadly both as a shooter and finisher at the rim. Combine those attributes with his strong defensive play and it’s easy to see the appeal in his game. His other per-game averages across 17 contests with Phenom U included 11.3 points (.470/.311/.792), 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals.

Kihei Clark is returning as Virginia’s lead ball-handler for this coming campaign but it is reasonable to think that Beekman will be his primary back-up right away. Beekman appears set to play solid minutes as an underclassman behind the veteran before taking over the main starting job as a junior.

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