May 4, 2007

Former UT Arlington men's basketball players Donnie Beacham and Derrick Obasohan are keeping the NBA dream alive.

The hope to one day play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been kept alive by outstanding play in their respective leagues during the 2006-07 season.

Beacham was ranked sixth in the ProBasketballNews.com list of top 20 minor league players. Beacham played for the American Basketball Association's Texas Tycoons this season. He captured the league's slam dunk competition in Halifax, Nova Scotia, earlier this spring.

He was named first-team all-ABA after averaging 24.0 points and 13.0 rebounds for the Texas Tycoons. He shot 49.6 % from the field, 40.0% from the 3-point range and 81.0% from the free-throw line. The Tycoons went 26-5 on the season and advanced to the ABA finals.

Beacham, a third-team all-SLC pick in 2004, scored 715 career points at UTA. He ranks ninth in career rebounding with 560 rebounds at UTA.

Obasohan is playing for the Hyeres-Toulan franchise in the French European League. He leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game. During a recent seven-game stretch he averaged 26.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He made 18-of-44 (40.9%) 3-pointers during the seven games. For the season, Obasohan is shooting 55% (90-of-163) from the field, 39% (48-of-121) from 3-point range and 79% (74-of-93) from the free-throw line.

Obasohan, who is fourth on the UTA career scoring list with 1,308 career points and 12th with 515 career rebounds, was a first-team all-SLC pick in 2004.

Hyeres-Toulan is 10-20 on the season and 16th in the league. They are trying to complete the season among the top 15 teams in the league to remain a Group A squad.

-utamavs.com-