Benet’s Lenee Beaumont generally doesn’t pay attention to who watches her play.
The 6-foot junior guard concentrates on helping her team win while improving her game.
Those efforts are paying off because a bunch of high-profile college coaches are paying attention to Beaumont, who now has over 20 Division I scholarship offers.
Many of those offers have come in the past two weeks after Beaumont played in the Nike Tournament of Champions at McCormick Place in Chicago with her AAU team, M14 Hoops.
The most noteworthy offer came from Tennessee. Beaumont is the first Benet girl to be offered by the Volunteers.
“I guess they came to watch a game at the Nike Tournament of Champions,” Beaumont said. “I try not to focus on who is watching the games, so I was definitely surprised that they even came over to watch our game.
“I had never spoken to them before. It’s really cool to know that very well-known programs are interested. I’m very appreciative.”
Beaumont was a rising prospect even before high school. DePaul coach Doug Bruno offered her when she was in eighth grade.
But the recruiting process became turbocharged in July after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and college coaches were able to get out on the club circuit.
In addition to Tennessee and DePaul, Beaumont has offers from Alabama, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, Marquette and Princeton.
“I’m happy for her but not that surprised,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “The colleges haven’t been able to evaluate anybody live in over a year because of the pandemic, so I felt like once they got to see her live, she’d have plenty of opportunities and that’s proven to be true.”
Beaumont is enjoying the journey.
“This past week I was talking to a bunch of new coaches,” she said. “It was such a cool experience.
“This whole recruiting process has been very weird with COVID, so having the opportunity to talk to schools I would never think I would talk to is awesome.”
Beaumont averaged 11 points and 5.3 rebounds and contributed a team-high 32 assists last season, her first as a starter. She shot 53%, including 47% from 3-point range, as the Redwings (11-1) won their fourth straight East Suburban Catholic Conference title.
That production came mainly as a shooting guard. But Beaumont, who has grown an inch since then, is poised to make the transition to point guard.
“Every time I see her, she’s grown,” Kilbride said. “Her positional size is great, and I don’t know if she’s done growing.
“She’s going to end up being a 6-foot point guard who can shoot it, handle it, and she’s getting bigger and stronger.”
After deferring to Division I stars like Brooke Schramek, Kendall Holmes and Kendall Moriarty the past two seasons, Beaumont will be expected to be a dominant force.
“Kilbride uses the phrase, ‘Be a dog,'” Beaumont said. “He just wants me to go out there and be very aggressive and not have to think about decisions. Just go out there and react.”
College coaches are reacting to Beaumont’s progress. Kilbride said she can play and defend multiple positions, and she has a top-notch basketball IQ.
“She has an extraordinary skill set that I think coaches see and know will translate to the next level, which is why she’s so attractive to them,” Kilbride said. “She’s a three-level scorer, she rebounds well, and her length defensively is exceptional. She uses it well.
“She’s a very attractive recruit and very deserving of the recent attention and opportunities she’s been blessed with.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.