Beamon signed his LOI today. Story from the NWI Times. click on the link for a picture
HAMMOND | His smile was other-worldly. His spirit was the same. "Run of the mill average" will never be words to describe Bishop Noll senior Ronnye Beamon Jr.
Beamon beamed Monay inside Noll's cafeteria as many of his teachers, administrators and school mates watched him sign his National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Youngstown State.
A lot of star basketball players smile when their dream is realized. Few of the others, however, have lived through the ordeal that Beamon has in recent years.
In February of 2011, his father with the same name passed away after months in intensive care and years of fighting an illness. That March, Beamon led Noll to the Class 2A state championship game. It was No. 23's shot that hung on the rim and fell out as the buzzer sounded for a one-point loss.
And after finishing his remarkable career this winter, the 6-foot-4 swing player had no Division I offers on the table a month ago. Doubters abound.
Monday, during lunch, it all changed. Beamon believes, and now knows, that prayer changes things.
"My relationship with God really got stronger lately," Beamon said. "I went to church more. I prayed more. God is the reason this is happening."
Beamon's career is historic. His class set an all-time record of 76-19. The Warriors won three Greater South Shore Conference tournaments, two GSSC regular-season titles and of course, one glorious trip to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Beamon was a Times First-Team All-Area player this past season, putting up numbers of 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 assists per game.
He finished with more than 900 career points and 400 rebounds, all while earning a 3.41 GPA in honors courses.
Youngstown State is part of the Horizon League, meaning Beamon will make an annual trip to Valparaiso for conference games.
Warriors coach Drew Trost told the audience that only 3 percent of all high school athletes will get a D-I scholarship offer, putting his star in the proper context.
"He overcame a number of obstacles," Trost said. "Losing his dad was the biggest. But he kept his faith, he worked very hard and it worked out in the end. We're very excited for him. I believe his best basketball is ahead of him."
In the last three weeks Beamon also received offers from Wright State and Liberty, but after taking his official visit Wednesday to Youngstown, he said he knew which door God had opened for him.
Monday was the culmination of great moments in a sweaty gym with his father, who was his mentor in basketball and every other aspect of his life.
"My dad was fighting for me his whole life," Beamon said. "I was in the gym with him since I was in second grade. This was our dream. It means the world to me that it came through and happened in this way."
Noll soccer player Jerrin Moore also recently signed to continue his career at Bradley.
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/college-scholarship-fulfills-our-dream-noll-s-beamon-says/article_0e014714-b69f-5568-a2b2-10b08b7c664b.html