Former K-State basketball player Michael Beasley was drafted by the Miami Heat with the second pick of Thursday's NBA Draft.

Beasley was the second of three-straight freshmen to be chosen with the top picks in the draft. A record ten freshmen were chosen in the first round this year.

As the second pick, Beasley is in elite company at K-State, behind only Howard Shannon in 1949 and Bob Boozer in 1959, who were both selected first overall, as the highest-picked Wildcats.

Miami, soon to be Beasley's new home, is also the former hometown of K-State head basketball coach Frank Martin.

"I'm ecstatic for Mike and for the Heat," Martin said. "It's a franchise, since Pat Riley's been there, that's been regularly in the [NBA] playoffs and won a championship just a few short years ago."

Martin also said Beasley and the Heat would be successful together.

"They are all about working and competing," he said. "I think it's a perfect marriage."

K-State students said they were happy about Beasley's high selection.

"It's really exciting that a player from K-State was picked so high," said Wesley Duey, senior in kinesiology. "It hasn't happened in a really long time that a player from this school was picked that high."

Beasley holds 30 K-State career, single-season and freshman records, as well as 17 Big 12 Conference single-game and single-season records.

"It is sad to see him go," said Cody Bitterlin, senior in finance. "It will be interesting to see who will step up and carry the load next season."

Beasley was not the only Wildcat selected in the 2008 NBA Draft. Bill Walker was selected 47th overall by the Washington Wizards.

"We are really happy for Bill and his family," Martin said. "We know that with the knee injury that he has some challenges ahead, but Bill has always overcome all sorts of odds to succeed. He is a fighter and will find a way to have success in the NBA."

Shortly after being drafted by the Wizards, Walker was traded to the Boston Celtics for cash considerations.

"[Boston] really believes in him and feels he can be a really good player," Martin said. "It's great to see him go to an organization that just won a championship."