NBA Draft 2024: Profile of former Virginia Basketball guard Reece Beekman

Reece Beekman is an interesting prospect among a draft class full of youthful guards. The senior from Milwaukee was a rare four-year starter under Tony Bennett at UVA. Despite Virginia's up and down year as a team, Beekman continued to shine and was needed at his best every night to help the Cavaliers win games.

The All-ACC 2nd teamer finished the year averaging 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game, Beekman did a little bit of everything on the court for his Virginia team as a primary point guard and defender. His offensive output is only half of what makes him a valuable prospect. As a bothersome on-ball defender, the Virginia guard continuously set the tone on the defensive end for his team.

Here's a look at Beekman's game and what makes him such a good player on both sides of the floor.

Offense

Beekman took a big step forward this season as a shot-creator for a Virginia team that needed him to be assertive. That not only led to him improving his scoring average from a year ago from 9.5 to 14.3 but allowed him to showcase his ability as a passer being Virginia's go-to guy at the top of scouting reports. He possesses a strong ability to get to the basket off of pick-and-roll situations with a combination of speed and creative hesitation to freeze help defenders. Improving his mid-range shooting was a big emphasis coming out of the draft evaluation period a year ago.

This past season Beekman showcased his ability to connect on those shots and to consistently make them over length. With how prevalent the pick and roll is in today's NBA, Beekman looks to have the tools to succeed as a passer when drawing help and as a finisher in the paint when necessary.

The most underrated part of his offensive game may be his off-ball movement. Virginia's offense breeds smart off-ball cutters with its different screening actions all over the floor. He is great at running defenders off of screens and deciding when to curl with a defender on his back and when to fade when defenders cheat under screens for easy layups and mid-range jumpers.

Defense

Virginia finished top-3 in the nation in scoring defense in large part to Beekman's efforts on a nightly basis. While guarding the best opposing player every game, Beekman still managed to lead his team in offense all season. On-ball, Beekman is great at harassing ball handlers, averaging 2 steals per game (2nd in ACC) while making it tough for teams to get into set offense and helping grind away valuable shot clock each possession. His role as a help defender was arguably just as good the past few seasons as he was great at anticipating passes out of double teams in and around the paint for easy steals.

Coming into the 2023-24 season only 2 players had ever won back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards until this past season with Beekman securing his second consecutive award. His 228 career steals marked a new program record at Virginia. Beekman proved himself to be one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball this year as evidenced by his stellar performances holding SEC preseason POY Wade Taylor IV to 9 points and Mountain West Preseason POY Isaiah Stevens to 5 points.

Beekman makes great decisions with the ball in his hands without forcing things and turning the ball over. Beekman finished 2023-24 averaging an ACC best 6.2 assists per game and an assist to turnover ratio of 3.03 which was top 25 in the country among all players. On film, he simply makes the right reads to be successful as both a passer and a scorer by anticipating defensive rotations.

While his overall game may not be the most eye catching, it is well-balanced in all areas. He does a little bit of everything and despite not being higher on draft boards, his consistency as a more mature player is sure to be well-liked by NBA teams. Beekman projects to be a good option for teams in the later stages of the second round or as an undrafted signee at the guard position as the draft nears here at the end of the month.