Mompremier Taking Huge Steps

The basketball story of Miami High’s 6-foot-5 center Beatrice Mompremier is not a story of the old adage “if at first you don’t succeed try again.”

It is more akin to the seismic occurrence “when raw talent meets purpose.”

Mompremier, affectionately known by her teammates as “Bee“, is a top-20 basketball player in Miami-Dade only in her sophomore year.

If that is not impressive enough, Mompremier began playing basketball only a year ago. Naturally her height would give her an advantage over many opponents, but she has worked tirelessly to be more than just a pillar on the court.

“When I traveled to play different teams out-of-town I saw the different levels of competition,” Mompremier said. “And I just knew I could be better.”

Mompremier started playing basketball after some prompting from others that her height — being 6-feet tall in the eighth grade — would make her a perfect fit for the court.

The only issue was that “Bee” had never touched a basketball.

It was after going to watch a practice at Miami High with her brother Wadly Mompremier, who plays on the boys’ team, that Beatrice would connect with Stingarees girls head coach Sammy Baumgarten and her basketball career commenced.

“I didn’t really know anything,” she said, “but I tried and I liked it.” Said Baumgarten: “She was really quick at picking up things. She could not even make a lay-up, but it only took a day before she got the footwork right. She took to it naturally.”

Mompremier has made significant headway in the last year, garnering local admiration from Florida State, University of Miami, University of Florida and interest from pretty much every single southeast Division-I program in the country, including North Carolina, LSU, and Virginia Tech.

She is the leading scorer for the Stingarees who are 16-4 this season, and she averages a double-double with 14.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

“She’s the enforcer in the middle,” Baumgarten said of Mompremier who is also averaging four blocks per game. “If she can’t block the shot she definitely changes the shots of our opponents.”

After participating in a showdown at Dr. Krop that invited teams from throughout the east coast of the country, Mompremier was one of three participants in her graduating class that received rave reviews on Fullcourt.com.

“She’s come a long way and if you are an up-tempo college program there may be no ceiling for the post from Miami,” the website posted.

Rivals.com added, “Mompremier can run with anyone and is a superb athlete. [She]… changes the game on defense and with the coaching at Miami High she will be destined for success. With her college ready athletic ability and frame there is just no way if you are a college program you can avoid recruiting the 6-5 post from Miami.”

The attention, however, has not distracted Beatrice from what matters.

“I just look at the big picture,” Beatrice said. “I look at basketball and school work.”

Baumgarten said Beatrice’s commitment and resilience has been an integral part of her growth.

“She doesn’t know the caliber she could be,” Baumgarten said. “I try to tell her ‘now that you’ve made this step, let’s go another step.”

With any prolific athlete it can be difficult to determine points of weakness, but Mompremier and her coach both identify what will elevate her already astounding game. Both say that she can work on her shooting; Mompremier, who is a little more self-critical, said that she needs to work on everything.

“I motivate myself because I always want to be the best,” Mompremier said. “If you don’t have confidence in yourself then you won’t be successful.”