With Michael Beasley returning to Bramlage Coliseum for Kansas State’s Sunflower Showdown win over Kansas, the legendary Wildcat spent some time reminiscing on his playing career in Manhattan, Kansas.
In a recent interview with Kansas City Sports Network’s John Kurtz and Cole Manbeck, Beasley revealed that the biggest regret of his collegiate career was leaving Kansas State.
“To be completely honest, if my family wasn’t in the position they were in at the time, I would’ve stayed four years,” Beasley said. “I came to that thought when I was maybe 25 or 26. I was just telling my friends that it was only later in life when I started to understand the totality of what history means.”
While Beasley gave one of the best seasons in the history of college basketball, averaging 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, it’s hard not to imagine what could have been. The Wildcats ended their 2007-08 season with a 22-13 overall record with a loss to Wisconsin in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
“The moment we just spoke about,” Beasley continued. “The moments we all shared. The feeling that I was able to give people if I could’ve done that for three more years. You know? But at the time, I was 18, watching my mom go through things that I didn’t want her to go through. Watching my family go through things that they didn’t deserve to go through. I chose my family over that.”
Beasley finished his thoughts by saying, “If I could do it all over again, I think I’d tell my family, ‘We’ve been thugging it out for 19 years, we can do it for two or three more.’ But I was just so eager to see my mom smile and see my brothers and sisters have schools and clothes. I just chose life over that.”
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