It’s Clemson for top Columbia basketball recruit. Here’s what the Tigers are getting
Clemson basketball dipped into the Columbia area and landed its first commit for the Class of 2021.
Cardinal Newman guard Joshua Beadle on Saturday verbally committed to play at Clemson. Beadle picked the Tigers over Wake Forest, Virginia Commonwealth, Wofford and Furman.
Clemson didn’t offer Beadle until last month but made several trips to see him play last season. Beadle also took a couple of unofficial visits to Clemson.
“They’re ACC and they’ve made me a priority,” Beadle said of Clemson. “They like my feel for the game and think I’d be a good fit there. They are trying to recruit me as a point guard, and that is what I was trying to do: facilitate more and less scoring.”
Beadle said he talked a lot with former Lower Richland guard and current Clemson guard Clyde Trapp during the process and the positives of playing with the Tigers.
“They checked off all of my boxes but so did the other schools so that’s what put my decision over the hump,” Beadle said.
Beadle’s recruitment and profile have increased over the past few months despite the coronavirus shutting down sports and recruiting visits. Rivals ranked Beadle as a four-star prospect and No. 110 on its Top 150 list.
“He’s explosive, he isn’t afraid to rise up from deep and he has a feel for making the right play,” Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said of Beadle.
Beadle has been a part of two straight SCISA Class 3A championship teams at Cardinal Newman and was the team’s leading scorer this season. The 6-foot-3 rising senior has the ability to play either of the guard positions, and college coaches like his length on the defensive end.
Beadle, who also plays for Upward Stars AAU team, averaged 16.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career. He missed the final month of the regular season with an ankle injury but returned for Cardinal Newman’s postseason run.
“Coaches love his versatility at the guard position,” Cardinal Newman coach Phillip Deter said. “He can be a point guard or shooting guard and can guard a variety of players. They also like the fact that he is a winner and has shown development each year within his game.
“His strengths are, he is a true three-level scorer with the ability to handle the ball versus any kind of pressure. He has the IQ and vision to get others involved. He is a fearless rebounder and always will do what it takes to make the team better.”
Clemson projects to have three scholarships available for 2021-22 season with three seniors on its roster.
Beadle is the fourth high-profile prospect from South Carolina’s Class of 2021 to commit this week. Legacy Charter’s Jacobi Wright committed to South Carolina on Sunday. Ridge View’s Tyler Rice committed to William & Mary on Wednesday, and Hartsville’s Cesare Edwards committed to Xavier on Friday night.
This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 6:03 PM.
