This a story we do not hear about enough these days. This is a story about a player coming for nowhere that develops into something special. A player who did not play at a high school powerhouse or for a hot AAU team. No this is an old school story that started last year and continues to grow. This is the story of Kylie Beam
Last year I was. Complaining about the lack of talent in the 2027 class in the Shore to Trinity Hall Coach Matt McCarthy. While in the conversation he asked if I had seen Kylee Beam of HOWELL. He then said “she is one of the best 2027’s he’d had seen” Matt McCarthy is a former D1 coach and college recruiter. He knows talent and evaluate’s talent better than any coach in high school when it comes to player projection for college. So when he talks I listen and take him seriously. It here where all the Kylee Beam fun starts.
I went home that night to try and find video of Kylie Beam. It was work but I finally found one. I watched the tape and watched it over and over. I was shocked by what I saw. A 5’11” mobile, college ready body freshman. Kylee Beam also was already looked like an elite defender and rebounder. So I called her coach Joe Santopietro of Howell, he confirmed everything I saw on video. He said Kylee Beam had a chance to be a D1 player one day. So I then I watched more tape of her on hudl. It was then I thought KYLEE just may be the freshman in the Shore Conference. The Shore Sports Network indeed named her there FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR. The one thing I knew for certain. She was at worse the 2nd best Freshman these eyes had seen in the Shore. I wondered how I could’ve have missed her. She was not on my GOLDEN DOZEN FRESHMAN TEAM. I can’t think of the last time I missed a kid of this ability and talent entering high school. It just doesn’t happen. In fact it’s never happen before. I now know 2 things about Kylee, she is a D1 player and can rise the level of her game when asked to do so against the very best.
Everyone looks good in blow out games or during garbage time. The real question is can a kid get the job done against real competition in real games. Can they preform when the game goes next level. You know when players get chippy, the elbows fly. The smack talking begins, you know when things get D1 competitive. Howell was having a great season last year when RBR rolled into town. But Howell knocked off RBR and then became ranked in the Shore Top 10. RBR had two D1 post players. Kylee Beam neutralized them both. But then came HIGHSTOWN with there star and future Binghamton division one player in ABBY MISIER who last year scored over 700 points and grabbed over 400 rebounds. Well Howell dominated Hightstown on the road in the state tournament. That’s because Kylee Beam stepped up her game and threw Abby Misier into the the Ice box. She put her in jail and threw away the key. There simply was no escape for Abby Miser. Kylee Bean held the D1 senior to 6 points and 4 rebounds, way below her 25 point. 13.9 rebounding averages. Meanwhile Kylee Beam was cooking up a double/double with 10 points/10 rebounds and 3 blocks. It was further proof that Kylee Beam was indeed special.
KYEE BEAM, made THE HOOP GROUP ALL FRESHMAN FIRST TEAM. It was then I got to know her a little and discovered she was clueless about the AAU basketball world and recruiting. I also knew she and her mother were not getting guidance. This was confirmed when she chose to play for a low level AAU team this summer and then decided to part ways before the July recruiting. She had no idea that she would not be in a competitive environment. So she now she had just lost an entire recruiting period. I had forgotten about Kylee at that point. I felt she was a typical kid playing at a non traditional high school basketball power. Another kid who would train when the moment hit them. Another kid who was not committed and who would disappear off the map. A kid who was happy just playing the game with no real goals. Well there is where I was wrong. Kylee Beam is none of those things.
When Kylee Beam showed up at NBS, nobody was more shocked than me. I thought the yelling, the running and the competition would crush her. My question was would she return after it does? So often kids come to NBS and get a. Dose of reality. Well newsflash the only crushing going on was being done by Kylee Beam. She spent the day kicking some D1 bound post players in the ass. She was light on her feet, had wonderful foot work, knew how to use her body and was tough as nails. Kylee Beam has been coached up in a big way. She came to NBS and introduced herself to the killers and showed no fear. She was the biggest surprise at NBS in years. She has those hands from the heavens, a serious competitive nature and REAL GAME… a D1 game!
Kylee Beam got lucky, trust me. She almost fell into the wrong inner circle. The easy and less motivated circle. She has an engaging and warm personality. It clear she loves being around people. Just like it clear that she now knows what she must do. She knows now to chase greatness and I believe that is exactly what she will do. Her high school team may be a top 20 team in the state, if they can find their way in the gym the next 5 weeks. Stories like Kylee Beam don’t come around very often anymore. These days kids are crowned long before they enter high school. They learn how to politic and manipulate the basketball world. The parents lie, cheat and do whatever it takes to give their kid an edge. Kylee Beam, meanwhile knows nothing of these things. Neither does her mother. She just wants to play basketball. She just needs a little guidance and she’ll do the rest. KYLEE BEAM is going to be the apple of too many D1 schools to mention real soon. This is a good story because it shows anything is possible … and the Beam family has proven, you don’t have to step over dead bodies to make it possible!
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