Saddiq Bey comes across as the reserved, level-headed, self-reliant type on the surface. He maintains a low profile on social media and keeps his inner circle small. But get to know him a little and suddenly there’s a lot more to unpack. The former Villanova standout and soon-to-be first-round pick leans on spirituality. He’s a loving son and a strong student, having earned a 3.8 GPA as a sophomore. Bey didn’t get hyped for games last season by listening to rappers like Kendrick Lamar or Roddy Ricch. Instead, it was usually the “Joker” soundtrack blasting through his AirPods, along with a collection of oldies such as “Everybody Plays the Fool” by The Main Ingredient and Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.” He also watches “SpongeBob SquarePants” religiously and might mess around and stream an episode or two on draft day if he can squeeze it in.
Bey is fascinated by philosophy and the human mind, which is fitting for a guy with so many layers. He can dissect Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” He just has a natural curiosity and is more concerned about the why in life. He’s as versatile off the court as he is on it. He can shoot the ball with range. He can put it on the floor a little. He’s a smart, unselfish passer and a good cutter. At the other end, his length and quickness made him one of the better perimeter defenders in the Big East last season.
Versatility like that is coveted in today’s NBA, which is why the 6-foot-8 Bey will hear his name called early in next Wednesday’s NBA Draft. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has the Portland Trail Blazers selecting Bey at No. 16 in his latest mock draft, but some believe the 20-year-old could go as high as No. 9 to the Washington Wizards.
“I swear, I think he can play some point guard,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “I think he can play wing, point, two guard. He’s got that versatility that he can defend every position. … I really think his game fits the NBA, much like Eric Paschall.”
Bey’s obsession with knowledge and passion for basketball are hereditary. His mother, Drewana Bey, starred at North Carolina-Charlotte, where she earned team MVP honors in 1997-98. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from Bowie State in 2011 and became a high school principal. Today, she serves as the instructional superintendent of secondary schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools system. She made sports and education priorities in her son’s life.
“Just watching her work through the ranks and grind from the bottom up since I was a little kid, me having to watch that, I had no choice but to try and follow that because she was my role model,” Bey said. “She always just kept it real with me and tried not to coddle me, and that helped me become the man I am today. She was tough on me when I really needed it, both academically and in basketball. She used to tell me as a little kid to be aggressive, to be tough, not to be soft or the game was going to pass me by.”
Bey has maintained that focus over the years. His decision to transfer from DeMatha Catholic to Sidwell Friends after his freshman year in high school had as much to do with academics as athletics. Even after a “gradual” growth spurt during which he sprouted from a 5-foot-8 freshman to a 6-foot-6 senior, Bey didn’t become complacent. He led Sidwell Friends to the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference championship as a junior in 2017. Despite being the Wildcats’ lowest-rated recruit in their 2018-19 class (No. 137 by 247Sports), his hunger for improvement didn’t waver. That work ethic is why he exceeded expectations at Villanova.
Bey started 29 games as a freshman, averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. He grew from 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-8. Then, as a sophomore, he emerged as Villanova’s best player, doubling his scoring total to 16.1 points per game while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. That was the fourth-highest percentage in all of college basketball last season, and it’s the highest among forwards and first-round prospects in this year’s draft class. He was named to the All-Big East first team and was an AP All-American honorable mention.
“I kept saying to our coaches, ‘This kid can’t be for real,’” Wright said. “‘He has to crack as a student, or he has to crack as a person, or he has to crack in terms of his work ethic. He can’t be this good in everything.’ Saddiq was a 3.8 student. He was coachable. He was on time. He kept getting better, and he was one of our hardest-working guys.”
Leaving school wasn’t an easy decision for Bey. He loved his teammates and coaches. He had built strong relationships with his professors at Villanova during his two years on campus. But Bey’s dream had always been to play in the NBA, and his stock was at an all-time high. This was the right time to take his shot. “Just having the chance to play at that institution and that school, for that team and coach, I thought it was a blessing and everything happens for a reason by God,” Bey said.
Since declaring for the draft in June, Bey has been training in the Washington metro area at local high schools such as Takoma Park and Anacostia. Each summer, he’s had a different approach to working on his craft, but he always tries to focus on maximizing his potential in various facets of the game to remain a multidimensional threat at both ends. He’s learned a thing or two about role-playing in the NBA by watching the former Wildcats who came before him.
“They’ve been able to show that they can do a variety of things at both ends of the floor,” Bey said. “They’ve been able to plug themselves into different systems and find ways to be successful. Seeing how they’ve been doing that, and adjusting from a 35-game season to an 82-game season, has been inspiring to watch and something I want to strive for.”
Many see Bey as a sleeper in this year’s draft class, but that’s not how he views himself. “The phrase I would probably use is ‘chip on my shoulder,’” he said. “I think my whole career, I’ve never been high-touted or not well seen coming into whatever level I played at. But I found the confidence within myself to perform at a high level.”
With the draft a week away, Bey won’t allow himself to get too high or too low. He said the event’s pushed-back timeline because of the pandemic just makes him more eager to play “in whatever market or whatever opportunity I have.” When his name is finally called, he thinks he’ll have a similar feeling to when he first committed to Villanova in June 2018. He’ll use that emotion as fuel as he embarks on this new stage in life. Bey will have to prove himself again, but he’s thankful for the opportunity.
“I don’t really listen to what other people say,” he said. “I just focus on how much better I’m getting, and how much better I can get each and every day.”
Saddiq Bey comes across as the reserved, level-headed, self-reliant type on the surface. He maintains a low profile on social media and keeps his inner circle small. But get to know him a little and suddenly there’s a lot more to unpack. The former Villanova standout and soon-to-be first-round pick leans on spirituality. He’s a loving son and a strong student, having earned a 3.8 GPA as a sophomore. Bey didn’t get hyped for games last season by listening to rappers like Kendrick Lamar or Roddy Ricch. Instead, it was usually the “Joker” soundtrack blasting through his AirPods, along with a collection of oldies such as “Everybody Plays the Fool” by The Main Ingredient and Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.” He also watches “SpongeBob SquarePants” religiously and might mess around and stream an episode or two on draft day if he can squeeze it in.
Bey is fascinated by philosophy and the human mind, which is fitting for a guy with so many layers. He can dissect Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” He just has a natural curiosity and is more concerned about the why in life. He’s as versatile off the court as he is on it. He can shoot the ball with range. He can put it on the floor a little. He’s a smart, unselfish passer and a good cutter. At the other end, his length and quickness made him one of the better perimeter defenders in the Big East last season.
Versatility like that is coveted in today’s NBA, which is why the 6-foot-8 Bey will hear his name called early in next Wednesday’s NBA Draft. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has the Portland Trail Blazers selecting Bey at No. 16 in his latest mock draft, but some believe the 20-year-old could go as high as No. 9 to the Washington Wizards.
“I swear, I think he can play some point guard,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “I think he can play wing, point, two guard. He’s got that versatility that he can defend every position. … I really think his game fits the NBA, much like Eric Paschall.”
Bey’s obsession with knowledge and passion for basketball are hereditary. His mother, Drewana Bey, starred at North Carolina-Charlotte, where she earned team MVP honors in 1997-98. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from Bowie State in 2011 and became a high school principal. Today, she serves as the instructional superintendent of secondary schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools system. She made sports and education priorities in her son’s life.
“Just watching her work through the ranks and grind from the bottom up since I was a little kid, me having to watch that, I had no choice but to try and follow that because she was my role model,” Bey said. “She always just kept it real with me and tried not to coddle me, and that helped me become the man I am today. She was tough on me when I really needed it, both academically and in basketball. She used to tell me as a little kid to be aggressive, to be tough, not to be soft or the game was going to pass me by.”
Bey has maintained that focus over the years. His decision to transfer from DeMatha Catholic to Sidwell Friends after his freshman year in high school had as much to do with academics as athletics. Even after a “gradual” growth spurt during which he sprouted from a 5-foot-8 freshman to a 6-foot-6 senior, Bey didn’t become complacent. He led Sidwell Friends to the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference championship as a junior in 2017. Despite being the Wildcats’ lowest-rated recruit in their 2018-19 class (No. 137 by 247Sports), his hunger for improvement didn’t waver. That work ethic is why he exceeded expectations at Villanova.
Bey started 29 games as a freshman, averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. He grew from 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-8. Then, as a sophomore, he emerged as Villanova’s best player, doubling his scoring total to 16.1 points per game while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. That was the fourth-highest percentage in all of college basketball last season, and it’s the highest among forwards and first-round prospects in this year’s draft class. He was named to the All-Big East first team and was an AP All-American honorable mention.
“I kept saying to our coaches, ‘This kid can’t be for real,’” Wright said. “‘He has to crack as a student, or he has to crack as a person, or he has to crack in terms of his work ethic. He can’t be this good in everything.’ Saddiq was a 3.8 student. He was coachable. He was on time. He kept getting better, and he was one of our hardest-working guys.”
Leaving school wasn’t an easy decision for Bey. He loved his teammates and coaches. He had built strong relationships with his professors at Villanova during his two years on campus. But Bey’s dream had always been to play in the NBA, and his stock was at an all-time high. This was the right time to take his shot. “Just having the chance to play at that institution and that school, for that team and coach, I thought it was a blessing and everything happens for a reason by God,” Bey said.
Since declaring for the draft in June, Bey has been training in the Washington metro area at local high schools such as Takoma Park and Anacostia. Each summer, he’s had a different approach to working on his craft, but he always tries to focus on maximizing his potential in various facets of the game to remain a multidimensional threat at both ends. He’s learned a thing or two about role-playing in the NBA by watching the former Wildcats who came before him.
“They’ve been able to show that they can do a variety of things at both ends of the floor,” Bey said. “They’ve been able to plug themselves into different systems and find ways to be successful. Seeing how they’ve been doing that, and adjusting from a 35-game season to an 82-game season, has been inspiring to watch and something I want to strive for.”
Many see Bey as a sleeper in this year’s draft class, but that’s not how he views himself. “The phrase I would probably use is ‘chip on my shoulder,’” he said. “I think my whole career, I’ve never been high-touted or not well seen coming into whatever level I played at. But I found the confidence within myself to perform at a high level.”
With the draft a week away, Bey won’t allow himself to get too high or too low. He said the event’s pushed-back timeline because of the pandemic just makes him more eager to play “in whatever market or whatever opportunity I have.” When his name is finally called, he thinks he’ll have a similar feeling to when he first committed to Villanova in June 2018. He’ll use that emotion as fuel as he embarks on this new stage in life. Bey will have to prove himself again, but he’s thankful for the opportunity.
“I don’t really listen to what other people say,” he said. “I just focus on how much better I’m getting, and how much better I can get each and every day.”
