by Rusty Ellis
Photo by Kailee Dick
York Institute sophomore point guard Reese Beaty had plenty of hype surrounding her before she even took the court for her first official high school game.
This included a couple offers from Division I programs, something that was only a preview to what the Upper Cumberland is seeing now.
Heading into her sophomore season in Jamestown, Beaty now boasts 15 total offers with a handful of other schools currently talking to her as we speak. The offers include local colleges such as MTSU, Belmont and Tennessee Tech, while other schools outside of the state such as Clemson, Murray State and Wofford are also trying to bring Beaty to their program.
That begs the question: what does Beaty herself think of the recruiting process?
“Coming from Jamestown, it’s hard to get your name out there,” Beaty said. “I’m very thankful for all the people that have helped with that process. It’s been overwhelming in a good way, and it’s very humbling at the same time.”
Thanks to her first season at York and her career thus far on the AAU circuit, Beaty says she’s gotten several opportunities that she’s grown to be thankful for.
“Basketball really can take you anywhere,” Beaty said. “I’ve been all over the country in places like Florida and across the United States, so it’s been a fun process for sure.”
None of this is a surprise to York girls basketball head coach Michael Green, who says Beaty’s success is due first and foremost to the work ethic she’s displayed for years now.
“You would’ve never thought you’d be getting calls from some of these places, but I’m not surprised at all,” Green said. “She loves it and she lives it…she’s great on the court and great in the classroom. She’s going to go far with it for sure.”
Green’s spent a lot of the past year fielding calls from many schools looking to land Beaty, and while he says it’s been crazy, he doesn’t anticipate it slowing down anytime soon.
“It’s really impressive, and I think they’ll just keep adding up,” Green said. “And it’s great for the program too. I tell these girls all the time that these coaches are looking at her, but they also know people at other schools that might be looking for someone like you…they might see something they need, so it benefits everyone.”
The entire process has seen Beaty get to experience some really cool events, such as when Clemson hosted Syracuse on her visit there, or when Tennessee hosted Kentucky just last Saturday. Make no mistake however, while she admits the games are fun, she’s equally focused on improving her craft at the many camps she’s gone to.
“Football games and campus tours are great,” Beaty said. “I’ve been to several camps around the country, and the Under Armour Nationals and Nike stuff this year, we get to really go all over the place for basketball…it’s quite the experience.”
There’s no rush for Beaty to make a decision, she’s only a sophomore and has plenty of time to make the right decision for herself. Green knows this as well, and while it may not be a normal occurrence for Jamestown athletics, he’s the first one to point out that this should show other players in the program what hard work can do for you.
“She’s the strongest player I’ve maybe ever seen and it’s all a testament of her hard work,” Green said. “She plays two or three hours a day on her own, so she’s created all of this on her own. She’s putting in the work on the AAU circuit, it’s all stuff that she’s done for herself.”