Reece Beekman Withdraws From NBA Draft, Returning to Virginia

The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year will return to UVA for his senior season

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

Virginia point guard Reece Beekman has withdrawn his name from the 2023 NBA Draft pool and will return to UVA for his senior season, as first reported by ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Wednesday evening. 

NEWS: Virginia guard Reece Beekman is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to school for his senior season, he told ESPN.

STORY: https://t.co/06wFMwC5XD

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 1, 2023

"I've decided to go back to UVA to work towards being a first-round draft pick next year and finish my degree," Beekman told ESPN on Wednesday. 

Beekman waited until the final possible day to make his decision, as the deadline for NBA Draft entrants to withdraw their names from the draft pool while maintaining their collegiate eligibility was Wednesday at 11:59pm ET. Beekman declared for the 2023 NBA Draft back on March 30th, rounding out a "mass exodus" of sorts as the UVA men's basketball program saw the departures of eight scholarship players via graduation, transfer portal, or the NBA Draft. He participated in the NBA Draft Combine last week and raised his draft stock with solid performances both in drills and scrimmages. Beekman also worked out with a few NBA teams before and after the combine, including a confirmed pre-draft workout with the Portland Trail Blazers. Ultimately, though, Beekman decided to return to Virginia to take advantage of the opportunity to develop for one more year in the hopes of becoming a first-round draft pick in 2024, a move that will also allow him to finish his degree and graduate next spring. 

READ MORE: What Reece Beekman's Return Means for Virginia Next Season

With Beekman deciding to return to college, Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers are getting back their best all-around player, one of the top defenders in the country, and undeniably their most experienced leader for next season. Beekman accomplished a great deal from an individual perspective in his first three seasons at Virginia. A starter from day one, Beekman appeared in 92 games, including 87 starts over the last three years. As a true freshman in 2020-2021, Beekman ranked second in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio. He has since improved on his decision-making even more, leading the conference in assist/turnover ratio in each of the last two seasons. His sophomore season saw him earn an ACC All-Defensive Team selection and an All-ACC honorable mention. This past season, Beekman racked up the accolades, being named the 2022-2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and garnering All-ACC Third Team, ACC All-Defensive Team, and ACC All-Tournament Second Team honors. But, despite winning two ACC regular season titles at Virginia, Beekman still has some unfinished business at the collegiate level, as he has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game with the Cavaliers. 

Beekman has already established himself as one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball and would have been one of the best all-around defenders in the NBA Draft had he stayed in the draft, but returning to Virginia allows him another season to improve his offensive game. Last season, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.5% from the floor and 35.1% from three-point range. In each of his first three seasons at UVA, he shared point guard duties with Kihei Clark. And while Beekman and Clark developed some great chemistry in their time on the floor together, it's obvious that there is lots of room for Beekman to grow offensively when he is handed the keys to Virginia's offense as the team's primary point guard next season. 

Beekman's return means that Virginia has filled 12 of its 13 scholarship spots for the 2023-2024 season. 

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