Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
It wasn’t a sure thing that 6’10” sophomore forward Jonathan Beagle of Hudson Falls would be suiting up again for the University at Albany this year after winning the American East Rookie of the Year award last season.
That’s because Beagle entered the transfer portal for about three weeks in the off-season. He said he regrets it.
“I think that was a really bad decision going into the portal,” Beagle told The Chronicle. “I think I made a good decision coming back. I got a little bit of interest from some schools, but I wanted to stay here. I don’t think I was ready to jump to that level yet.
“I rushed,” he continued. “I wasn’t in the right headspace and I think I made really rash decisions that I shouldn’t have made. [Head] Coach [Dwayne] Killings has done everything to help me and support me…I think that was a really bad, dumb decision that I tried to do too fast. There’s a lot of people back in the day that didn’t really play until their junior year, and I got to play my freshman year. He gave me that opportunity.”
Beagle averaged 12.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in his rookie season.
He played played three years of basketball for Hudson Falls High School, before finishing his scholastic career in prep school at St. Thomas More.
Beagle says he’s undecided about his future career goals and choice of college major, but he’s still only a sophomore, after all. What is apparent is his work ethic in the gym, according to Killings.
“Jonathan wants to be good,” the coach said. “I think that’s the first step. He’s one of the last guys to leave the gym, and that gets rewarded over time. He wants to represent his community and his family really well. I think that’s what drives him every day.”
Beagle got a unique chance to represent that community and family on Tuesday, Nov. 21, as the Great Danes played for the first time ever at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls as they awaited the completion of renovations at their home venue, the SEFCU Arena.
Beagle was a starter in the matchup against Army and finished the game 2 for 4 from the field with six points, 11 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He knocked in a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game at 52-52 on the way to the Great Danes’ 62-59 win.
Before his first and probably last game at the Cool, Beagle said he wasn’t nervous, even though he dreamed of playing at the venue for a while but never got a chance to compete there in high school.
“At the end of the day — I talked to my dad before the game —- I’m a Division I basketball player from Hudson Falls, New York,” he said. “There’s not a lot of people that can say that. So I already made it in my own right. So I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to win. I wasn’t coming out there trying to look good for anyone else. I just wanted to come out with a win and let my teammates have some fun in front of a good crowd.”
Of course, despite the victory, there’s always room for improvement. He battled Army’s 6’9” Charlie Peterson in the post.
“I’m still a sophomore, it was a good game to get better,” Beagle said. “I just have to be tougher. It’s all technique, and I just have to will it down at the stretch. I can’t let him do some of the things he was doing.”
Still, as a team player, the big man will certainly take the victory in front of the 2,025 fans — most of them cheering on the homegrown talent — that came out to the Cool Tuesday.
“Last year I realized that stats and all that stuff — it’s not fun if you don’t win,” Beagle said in the post-game press conference. “So if I win, I’m good.”
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