Beverley headed for some southern hospitality

Just prior to Patrick Beverley's press conference, even his coach Lamont Bryant did not know whether it was Arkansas or Michigan. The secret is out now, and Beverley, the No. 65 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, is headed south to Fayetteville, Ark.

"It was a hard decision to chose between Michigan and Arkansas, but it came down to the (Arkansas) team," said Beverley, a 6-foot2, 175-pound combo guard from Marshall High School in Chicago. "Don't get me wrong the Michigan team was welcoming to me and the coaching staff is great, but the Arkansas team really embraced me. You know, it's hard to beat that southern hospitality.

"I just felt so comfortable around the Arkansas players. I came down there as the only player from Chicago, and they took me in with open arms. It felt like a family there, just like we had at Marshall."

Beverley expects to get some looks at the basket from the shooting guard position for the Razorbacks.

"I feel like I can come in and play," he said. "They are set at the point with Gary [Ervin], so I'll come in and play shooting guard. Arkansas' three-point shooting was the only problem last year, so I'm hoping I can come in and score right away."

And score is what Beverley did in huge numbers at Marshall. He averaged a very impressive 34 points a game. Along with his prolific scoring, Beverley also averaged 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals per game.

After missing the summer AAU circuit, Beverley caught the attention of the basketball recruiting world with his spectacular senior season.

He attributes much of his success to the time he spent in the weight room during the past year.

"The only way I was able to score so many points was hard work and dedication," he said. "I really lifted hard and got stronger and became almost a complete player. I still have room to improve, but getting stronger is what took me from being a mid-major player to a high-major player.

"I'm not going to stop getting stronger either. I'm going to keep lifting like I have been, and hopefully play at the next level in the NBA."

Patrick Beverley scouting report:

A wiry player with quickness and both a feel and flair for the game, Beverley can score points in bunches. He has a way of coming up with the ball and finding a way to score it. An energetic competitor, Beverley impacts the game on defense just as much as he impacts the game on offense.