For years, he has perfected the role of the undercover accomplice. Quietly, he has performed extremely well with a workman-like attitude. Quickly, he has put defenders at bay with his steady play. Unquestionably, he projects a certain leadership coaches, players and fans alike have come to embrace.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jermaine Beal, the ultimate team player.
It took the sure-handed Beal until his fourth season to begin garnering deserved recognition for his outstanding career. The scoring, which has incrementally increased every season since he arrived on campus, certainly helps; his 14.7 points per game lead a high-octane Vanderbilt attack. Usually, the credit for the Commodores’ crisp offensive execution has gone to bigger names like Jeffery Taylor and A.J. Ogilvy, but it is Beal who truly captains the ship. He has for quite some time.
“In my mind, Beal has always been the guy that has made (Vanderbilt) go,” said Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, who has also contended with Vanderbilt Southeastern Conference Players of the Year Derrick Byars and Shan Foster since Beal’s arrival on campus.
What is most remarkable about Beal’s all-too-subtle career has been his relative anonymity. Sure, opponents and their coaches know what he brings to the table, but what about the rest of us? It is infinitely easier to hear references to his previous rapping career than his SEC-leading assist-to-turnover ratio the past two seasons, much more common for people to focus on other Commodore players — however great they are — than to give Beal his due.
“He’s had a great impact because he’s worked as hard as any guy we’ve ever had here,” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. “He has really, really improved because of that hard work.”
As a senior — the culmination of his collegiate basketball progression — the numbers simply do not lie in telling the story of Beal’s importance and improvement. In addition to leading the team in scoring this season, Beal paces the Commodores in minutes played, field goals made and (of course) assist-to-turnover ratio, which is a robust 2.16. In addition, he is second on the team in assists and steals, third in free throw percentage and total free throws made, and he always seems to be around the ball at the right time.
“I guess you can say I've matured (as a player),” Beal said. “I'm more experienced so I'm a smarter player. … My main thing is to make sure that our bunch is steadying, going smooth and looking good. It's my last year so I'm just trying to go out with a bang.”
Indeed, Beal is going out with a bang, as he has mastered the art of the game-changing play. Take this past Tuesday, for example. With the Commodores leading 14-4 and heading down the court on a furious, seemingly out-of-control fast break, Beal calmly stopped. Crisply swishing a 3-pointer that allowed Memorial Gym to erupt into controlled chaos, Beal forced Tennessee to quickly call a timeout, and they never seemed to find their collective flow. Just another day at the office for Beal.
“I think he's an easy guy … to respect,” Stallings said. “If he says something, which he doesn't often, he backs up what he says by how he plays and how he practices. It's been very pleasing to see.”
In essence, Beal is as money as his rapper alias and nickname — “Dolla Beal” — would indicate. It would be a crime to shortchange such a superb career.
