Girls Basketball: Benet star Lenee Beaumont picks Indiana

Lenee Beaumont was always told by coaches during her recruitment process to go where she was wanted.

Indiana made that apparent.

A Hoosiers’ associate coach came and surprised Beaumont at a Benet practice, just to watch. The entire Indiana staff drove in a snowstorm to watch Beaumont and the Redwings in a weeknight game they won by 30 points.

“They were constantly showing support and showing I was wanted there,” said Beaumont, a 5-foot-9 junior guard. “I felt like I was a top priority.”

It made a difficult choice that much easier. Beaumont on April 14 made it official, announcing her verbal commitment to Indiana from close to 35 scholarship offers including eight from Big Ten schools, DePaul and national powerhouses such as Tennessee. Beaumont, the Suburban Life Player of the Year this past season and an Associated Press second team All-Stater, is Indiana’s first commitment in the Class of 2023.

“It’s crazy to think about how it all happened,” Beaumont said. “A little over a year ago, I had very few offers, few looks and interest. Now, to see myself in this position, I’m forever grateful and looking forward to it.”

Beaumont’s recruitment took off last spring and summer. Northwestern and Wisconsin offered her in June and a wave of schools followed in July.

Beaumont this past season led Benet to a 30-5 record, an unbeaten East Suburban Catholic Conference regular-season title and fourth place in Class 4A. She averaged 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and made 78 3-pointers at a sizzling 42% clip.

“The whole thing is a dream come true,” Beaumont said of the recruitment process. “Growing up I always dreamed of playing Division I basketball. Although it was sometimes overwhelming, I kept trying to remind myself and my parents would remind me that there are so many people that would love to be in the position you are. Coach did a great job helping me navigate things, making sure I wasn’t overwhelmed with phone calls. He’s been doing it for quite a while, has sent a bunch of players to D-1 programs.”

[ 'A budding superhero' Lenee Beaumont led Benet to 30 wins, fourth at state ]

Beaumont is the latest Benet standout to find a home in the Big Ten.

Kathleen Doyle, now a member of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, was an All-American at Iowa after leading Benet to two state titles. Beaumont’s former teammates Brooke Schramek and Kendall Moriarty are at Wisconsin and Nebraska, respectively.

Beaumont is joining an Indiana program that has risen to prominence on the national scene under head coach Teri Moren, who just completed her eighth season. The Hoosiers are coming off a 24-9 season, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the first time in 20 years and reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive season.

Beaumont made two unofficial visits to the Bloomington campus and attended an Indiana game against Purdue.

“I watched a lot of their games and can see how I could fit and play my role,” Beaumont said. “I definitely love to win and hate losing. That was a factor that played into my decision as well.”

As Beaumont narrowed her choices to about eight schools in the fall, Benet coach Joe Kilbride told her she couldn’t go wrong, but it was clear that Indiana made her a priority. The Hoosiers’ coaching staff also was transparent with Beaumont on who they were recruiting. Indiana this week added three transfers from the portal, including former Nazareth star Alyssa Geary and 2020 Indiana Miss Basketball Sydney Parrish.

Kilbride believes Beaumont, for her part, is just scratching the surface to her potential.

“Lenee is like a superhero that hasn’t figured out her full power yet. She is just understanding how good she can be and developing that mindset,” Kilbride said, “and physically she is not done growing. She is going to get bigger and stronger. When she gets those physical attributes to go with her skill set, she’s going to be a nightmare for people.”