Photo by Associated Press While Frederick is not Michael Beasley’s hometown, the Kansas State star’s mother and siblings lived here while he attended Oak Hill Academy in 2005.

One of them is this: the bio says Beasley was born in Frederick , Md.

Beasley -- regarded by many as the nation's best college basketball player -- may be the real deal, but Frederick isn't his real birthplace.

Beasley was born in Prince George's County. Nonetheless, the superstar freshman and likely NBA lottery pick does have a genuine connection to Frederick . Beasley's mother Fatima Smith and his siblings moved from Montgomery County to Frederick in 2005 and lived here for one year.

"I was just looking for a better location for my children," Smith said of her reason for moving to Frederick .

But Beasley -- the second-oldest of Smith's five children -- didn't get to spend much time at the family's home in Walnut Ridge, which is near Fort Detrick. While Beasley's younger siblings were attending local schools like Whittier Elementary, he was in Virginia, attending Oak Hill Academy, a basketball powerhouse where he polished his skills.

Sure, Beasley was in Frederick for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas in 2005. Holiday time was especially valuable to a

mother whose son was often away at school or playing with elite traveling basketball teams.

"I tried to make the most of it. He's only here for a brief second," Smith said. "I was only there for a year."

By Beasley's senior year of high school, Smith had moved from Frederick to Montgomery County. And eventually, Smith and the family moved to Manhattan, Kan., to be near Beasley as he began his college career at nearby Kansas State.

"I live about a mile from his dorm," Smith said.

Manhattan is a small city nicknamed The Little Apple (a nod to that other Manhattan in New York). It reminds Smith of Frederick , a place where she still has friends.

Smith has attended most of Beasley's college games, where the 6-foot-10, 235-pound athletic freshman showcases his valuable blend of dominant inside play and net-snapping outside shooting. Smith will be at the Qwest Center in Omaha today to watch Kansas State face Southern Cal in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"That's the reason we're out here, to be part of his college life," Smith said. "He wants his family at games. He wants to look up and see us cheering for him."

Smith, a 40-year old single mother who has been married twice, has gone to great lengths to support her family.

While living in Frederick , Smith worked 30 to 35 hours a week at the Victoria's Secret store in FSK Mall. That was just her part-time job. She worked full time as a supervisor at the National Retina Institute in Chevy Chase.

"That's what you do when you take care of your children. You make sacrifices," she said. "It's something you just do."

Smith got pregnant with her first child when she was 19. She had Michael and three other children later.

"That's the road my life has taken," Smith said. "I wouldn't change my life."

But she never got to attend college. She wanted to make sure her children had that chance.

"I didn't want my children to miss out on everything I missed out on," Smith said.

In Beasley's case, basketball helped fulfill that wish. He was one of the most sought-after college prospects in the country.

"He had a God-given gift that was fine-tuned after he started playing basketball," Smith said.

With such talent comes attention. Beasley is already a closely watched celebrity, something few 19-year-olds ever experience and fewer still can comprehend.

"He's never going to be a normal person, not until he's grown old and shriveled up," Smith said.

Beasley has been a key member of USA national teams, and he starred at Notre Dame Prep in Fichburg, Mass., as a high school senior. Recruiting services regarded him as the nation's top power forward recruit. He chose Kansas State and made an immediate impact this season, averaging 26.5 points and 12.4 rebounds to help the Wildcats go 20-11 and reach the NCAA tournament.

Many speculate Beasley will enter this year's NBA Draft, where he could be the No. 1 selection.

If he plays in the NBA as expected, check out the back of his basketball card to see if his birthplace is listed as Frederick .