Exchange student takes Frazier by storm

Beyl has been playing basketball since he was a kid. But he's only been playing it in the U.S. for the past few months.

Beyl is an exchange student from eastern France who is currently spending his senior year as a student-athlete at Frazier High School. Though Beyl was new to the Commodores, it didn't take him long to make an impact out on the court.

'Guillaume is a true point guard,' Frazier boys basketball coach Dave Vindivich said. 'And since I've been playing, and since I've been coaching, I haven't associated with a point guard with that much talent.'

Vindivich added that Beyl is an unselfish player who contributed even without scoring.

'We can win without him scoring because he'll get the ball to the right people,' Vindivich said.

Beyl seems to have fit in seamlessly, but he said he did have to make a few adjustments in his game because basketball in the U.S. is 'a lot quicker, and a little bit stronger, too.'

The differences didn't seem to affect Beyl's performance, though. He was one of Frazier's top scorers, leading the Commodores to the playoffs. Additionally, he recently tried out for and was accepted to the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic, a high school tournament held in Pittsburgh.

Beyl played in one of two games which were scheduled for Saturday, April 14, at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

'I knew some of the kids that were on the team,' he said. 'It was a lot of fun.'

Beyl's play garnered comments from some of the coaches in attendance.

'I think I did good,' he said. 'Some of the coaches told me I had a good game.'

With his high school basketball career at an end, Beyl will remain in the U.S. and attend California University of Pennsylvania, where Vindivich reported that Beyl received a full scholarship.

'I think the campus looks nice, and I have some friends who are going there,' Beyl said.

After just one school year at Frazier, Beyl will also leave quite a few friends behind, according to Vindivich.

'He's not only good on the court and a tremendous player, he's a tremendous person,' Vindivich said. 'He's got a lot going for him. The community got behind him and kind of fell in love with him on the basketball court.'

Beyl, who is staying with the Johnson family, said the welcome he received has made the transition to life in America a little easier.

'Everyone was nice to me when I first came here, so that makes life easier,' he said.

Vindivich plans to keep an eye on Beyl's college career, and he has high expectations for the point guard.

'I think he'll be successful,' Vindivich said. 'It's exciting that's he's going to a local place so we can still follow him and see how he's doing.'