With only one minute and 53 seconds on the clock, American University senior Stacy Beckton Jr. finalized his college career with a three-point jumper over a Navy Midshipman.
Over his five-year career, Beckton has created a legacy with the Eagles.
Beckton finished his career with 101 career blocks, which ranks sixth in program history, 1,187 points, which leaves him 26th in program history, and 118 games played, tied for seventh in program history.
He was awarded All-Patriot League Third Team twice in his career, as well as being on the Patriot League All-Defensive Team for two consecutive years, making him the first Eagle to earn the distinction twice. He also made the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll his senior year.
“We’re just incredibly thrilled with everything he was able to do throughout his time here,” associate head coach Scott Greenman said.
Beckton attributed his success with the Eagles to the support he received from his coaches and teammates. He described the mentorship from former teammate Sa'eed Nelson as a standout reason for his success on the court.
“Playing under him showed me the different things you needed to do to be a winner at American,” Beckton said.
Due to Nelson’s offensive dominance, Beckton said he was able to come in as an underclassman without the pressure of having to score the ball. He added that this allowed him to learn how to affect the game in different ways, which carried over to his last two years where he was able to score more, while also doing the small things to help his team win.
“He was easy to coach, always worked really hard, did everything we tried to get him to do at a high level, and just went about it in the right way. He did everything he could to help us win,” Greenman said.
Beckton ended his college career alongside other senior teammates, Connor Nelson, Christian Sutton, Christian Lorng, Marvin Bragg and Josh Alexander.
“They all made a major imprint on the program,” Greenman said. “They were good leaders on the court, good people in the locker room; An exemplary group that we are going to miss a lot.”
Next year, the Eagles will be relatively young, with a core of sophomores and juniors. Greenman believes that to adapt next season, the team will have to collectively improve to fill the gaps left by the seniors.
“You don’t lose somebody like Stacy and try to replace them with one person,” Greenman said.
Beckton had the same sentiment about teamwork, “You don’t play the game of basketball by yourself, you play with a team. Everyone has to be on the same page for you to find success as a team.”
Although his college career may have come to an end, Beckton’s basketball career is certainly not over. He recently signed with an agent with a goal to play overseas or in the NBA.
“You only get to play college basketball for so many years,” Beckton said. “When you do get the opportunity, just enjoy it.”
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly that Beckton spent four years at AU, not five.
