Beasley picks up honors

Freshman forward Michael Beasley earned the first Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Monday after his record-setting efforts in wins over Sacramento State and Pittsburg State.

In addition his performances earned Beasley a pair of National Player of the Week honors from ESPN.com and Collegehoops.net.

The nation's No. 1 high school recruit lived up to his preseason billing in his first two collegian games, as he averaged 31.0 points and 19.0 rebounds in guiding the Wildcats to a pair of wins to open the 2007-08 season. In addition to connecting on 61.5 percent of his field goals, he averaged 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals in 30.0 minutes per game.

Beasley is the first Kansas State player to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors since Jeremiah Massey won the accolade on Jan. 31, 2005 and is just the fourth since the inception of the league. Manny Dies won the first award on Jan. 18, 1998 followed by Galen Morrison on Jan. 10, 2000 and Massey on Dec. 27, 2004 and Jan. 31, 2005.

Beasley had a memorable first game as a Wildcat, he set two school records and one Big 12 mark in helping Kansas State to a season-opening victory over Sacramento State on Friday. He posted 32 points on 12-of-20 field goals with 24 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals in 31 minutes. He is just the third player in school history to top 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single-game and the first since Bob Boozer did it against Colorado in 1957. The 32 points were the most points by a freshman in a debut, while the 24 rebounds were the most by a freshman in a single-game and the third-most by a Wildcat in school history. The 24 rebounds also eclipsed the all-class Big 12 record of 23 held by Kevin Durant (2006) and Nick Collison (2003).

On Sunday, Beasley became just the second player in school history to tally 30 points in back-to-back games in a win over Pittsburg State. He tallied 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes. He is the first player to top 30 points in consecutive games since Askia Jones did in January 1994.

The 25th-ranked Wildcats (2-0) return to action on Saturday, Nov. 17 when the squad welcomes Western Illinois to Bramlage Coliseum for a 6 p.m. tip.