COLLEGE BASKETBALL : NCAA MEN’S FINAL FOUR : Beck to Beck? : He’s Not Biggest Name on Arkansas, but He Might Be Key to Repeat Chances

Corey Beck, the point guard Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson swears he wouldn’t trade for anybody else in the country--not Tyus Edney, not Randolph Childress, not Travis Best--doesn’t even average double figures in scoring. In fact, in the recent Midwest Regional semifinals and final, Richardson’s hero had more fouls than assists, more fouls than field goals.

On most teams that gets you a lovely bench seat somewhere between the student manager and the 5-foot-3 walk-on power forward from Provo. At Arkansas, it gets you on the cover of the Razorback basketball yearbook. You’re the one standing in front of the crystal national championship trophy.

That’s because Beck isn’t like most point guards. Then again, Arkansas isn’t like most teams.

“We’ve got some great players,” Richardson said. “But everybody can’t do the things that Beck will do for a basketball team.”

Blessed with a roster as deep as his voice, Richardson can choose from 11, sometimes 12, players and not think twice about the substitution. Need a chucker? Alex Dillard or Davor Rimac will chuck until the three-point line begs for mercy. Need a chunker? Will 6-11, 275-pound Darnell Robinson do? Or 6-11, 255-pound Lee Wilson or 6-9, 265-pound Dwight Stewart?

The stars you know about--power forward Corliss Williamson and small forward Scotty Thurman. But the constant, the player Richardson values most, is Beck, the 6-2 senior who thinks grunt work is fun.

“I hear people say, ‘Who’s that?’ ” Beck said of his undercard status. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s the other guy on the University of Arkansas team.’ ”

If you go by traditional point guard statistics, Beck’s numbers are respectable, but nothing special. He averages 7.9 points and 5.2 assists. Big whoop.

But then look at his steals (67); his shooting (50%); his three-point shooting (46.6%); his record as a Razorback starter (62-9), and his shoulders.

That’s right, his shoulders.

Look hard and you’ll see the faint scars left by finger-nail scrapes. Beck got those by venturing inside the paint, where point guards enter at their own risk. Beck doesn’t care. The second-shortest player on the team averages 4.9 rebounds. Only Williamson averages more.

And watch Beck during player introductions. Always looking for the tiniest edge, he plays mind games with the opposition.

Against Memphis in the regional semifinal, he nearly took Tiger guard Mingo Johnson’s hand off when they slapped hands at midcourt. Johnson had to be restrained by his teammates. Beck smiled and walked away.

Richardson said, “In our dressing room, we’ve got a sign up that says, ‘There are those who play to play, and there’s those who play to win.’ You know, there are some guys who have some tremendous skills--and the media and the fans will see points. I’ve seen guys score 40 points and take 40 shots and the media built them up as the greatest to ever play the game.

“But on a team that wins basketball games, there’s got to be what we call the blue-collar worker, the heart and soul. Once in a while you find that young man. I had one before named Paul Pressey, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and who could only score one or two points, but you’d win by 12 or 15 because of all the things he could do. Then we’ve got this young man named Corey Beck who does all the same things thatPaul Pressey did. When a guy can beat you by not scoring . . . “

Against Memphis, Beck picked up his fourth foul with 27 seconds left in the first half. Arkansas led by 11.

When he finally returned to the lineup with 14:08 remaining in the game, Memphis led by five. He scored only two more points--on free throws--the rest of the way, but one of them tied the game near the end of regulation, 83-83. And the Razorbacks won in overtime, 96-91.

And against Virginia in the final, Beck picked up three quick fouls, was sent to the bench and Arkansas immediately fell behind.

He was whistled for a fourth foul midway through the second half and sat for a minute or so until Richardson decided that the Razorbacks needed more than a three-point lead.

Without Beck: Arkansas 46, Virginia 43.

With Beck: Arkansas 62, Virginia 49 . . . in a little more than four minutes.

The way Beck figures it, this is the least he can do for Richardson. In 1991, when his test scores were below the NCAA minimum, about the only coach who kept recruiting Beck was Richardson.

“It was totally different from the other guys I sat down with,” Beck said. “He told me he wanted me really bad.”

So Beck spent a season at a junior college in Texas, transferred to Arkansas and made Richardson look like a genius. Along the way, Beck forgot about scoring lots of points--he had averaged 27 in high school--and bought into the Razorback system.

“Hey, whatever it takes to win, I’ll do it,” Beck said.

On occasion, that includes some on-court woofing. Memphis’ players can recite some of Beck’s more memorable remarks, but it’s nothing that will ever make the pages of a family newspaper.

In fact, so good is Beck at trash talking that several Tigers said he cost them a regular-season victory.

“We got into a little talk problem,” Memphis guard Chris Garner said. “We got trapped in their game.”

Beck denies it all. In a calm, soft voice, he said the Memphis players must have him confused with another Corey Beck.

“A lot of people picture me as a trash talker, but I’m not,” he said. “I’m always nice to people. I think I’m the most kindest person you can have out on the floor. But you can’t disrespect me. I won’t allow it.”

Beck learned to play basketball on the playgrounds of his hometown, Memphis. He played against older and taller players. On purpose.

“I stood my ground,” he said. “It’s just in me to play hard. Guys kid around. I can’t kid around. It’s just not in me.”

The older players thanked Beck for his interest by occasionally putting him flat on his back. By the way, the court was concrete.

So Beck doesn’t have much sympathy for other players who complain about his physical style. Mingo Johnson didn’t like the pregame slap? Well, then don’t stick your hand out there.

“I think Mingo’s a good guy,” Beck said. “But if I throw an elbow at a guy, I don’t try to do it. It’s just me. When I’m out there, I don’t have any friends.”

He does have admirers. Lots of them. Of course, this is news to Beck.

“Corey Beck?,” he said. “Who knows Corey Beck? Maybe in the state of Arkansas, that’s it.”

Try 50 states. And one team.