George Beamon had been waiting for his senior season, waiting for a chance to win a MAAC championship with the best team of his career.
Four games were all he got.
Sidelined with an ankle injury, Beamon could only watch as the Jaspers made a surprising late-season surge and were one win from the NCAA Tournament.
Still, even on the bench, the team’s best player saw opportunity, enthusiastically jumping off the bench — with the bum ankle — on nearly every timeout, continually motivating teammates by finding a voice he never had felt he needed before.
“I felt like it was necessary,” Beamon said. “I was worried about myself at first, but I started putting myself in their shoes and how I used to look at my seniors when I was younger. I wanted them to think the world of me and I wasn’t giving them anything. I had to put my pride away and do what was best for the team. They needed it.”
The Jaspers fell just short, but Beamon now has a second chance at his last chance.
After all of the pain and frustration and sleepless nights, Beamon was granted another year of eligibility.
Led by the senior, Manhattan has won three of its first four games this season, including Beamon’s put-back, buzzer-beating 3-point play to defeat Columbia on Nov. 12. Entering Friday night, he was seventh in the nation in scoring (27.5), while shooting 41.7 percent on 3-pointers and sharing the team lead with 7.5 rebounds.
Though last season was miserable, Beamon said he thinks it couldn’t have worked out better. He said he has gained a greater understanding of the game, a new perspective on life and his final season now comes with a team considered one of the best mid-majors in the country, featuring a supporting cast made stronger by Beamon’s absence last season.
“I felt like it was kind of a blessing in disguise because it let the younger guys know how much they can contribute to the team,” Beamon said. “They were able to step up and we became more of a family. Guys are much more confident. We’re going be a problem this year. It’s going be something special this year.
“I got blessed with another chance and I’m taking nothing for granted. I know it all can be snatched away in a matter of seconds.”
Sophomore Shane Richards noted Beamon’s help with the team’s younger players.
“George is just a great leader,” Richards said. “This year especially, he’s kind of come into his own. He feels a sense of urgency since it’s his last year. It’s definitely great motivation.”
Manhattan coach Steve Masiello, who inherited the team after a six-win season in Beamon’s sophomore year, said the two didn’t always see eye-to-eye last season, as both of them struggled with the uncertainty over whether Beamon could return.
When Beamon did come back this summer, he was a different player and a different person.
“When he stepped on the court this year, it’s one of the best things I’ve seen in coaching,” Masiello said. “He literally almost had me tear up with a speech he gave the team. … Now, he comes to me and tells me things he doesn’t like that we’re doing. No way he would’ve done that when I got him.
“That’s why I’m so proud of him. He’s taken great ownership of Manhattan basketball. For a coach, that’s a dream come true. When your best player is all over guys, you have an easy job.”
Easier than ever with a player Masiello says is better than ever.
“There are times I watch him and I forget to coach because he’s that fun to watch,” Masiello said. “He’s really put himself in that class with the great ones. Everyone should be able to coach a guy like him.”