DEERFIELD, Ill. – Michael Beasley kept drifting away from the podium, and he couldn’t help but notice people at the hotel next door peeking through the fence to catch a glimpse of the player the Chicago Bulls could draft No. 1.

“Man, I got people behind the fence, too?” he said.

All eyes were on Beasley when he visited the Bulls’ practice facility Tuesday, and Derrick Rose figures to get the same treatment this week. Holding the first pick in the NBA draft later this month, Chicago has a big decision: Beasley, a forward from Kansas State who would provide a sorely lacking scoring presence, or Rose, a point guard who just led Memphis to the NCAA championship game.

Quick, strong and agile, Beasley put together one of the best seasons ever by a freshman, becoming the third in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounds at 12.4 per game while averaging 26.2 points. He had the second-most rebounds and third-most points by a freshman in NCAA history, helping Kansas State to its first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years.

He was the Big 12 player of the year, a consensus All-American and the runner-up to North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough for several player of the year awards, but there are concerns about his character and height.

He measured 6-foot-8 1/4 at the NBA’s predraft camp after being listed at 6-10 in college.

“It’s a little disappointing to me to find out I’m actually a midget,” Beasley said in jest. “But it’s not a big deal to me.”

A bit fidgety and uncomfortable at times, Beasley still showed a sense of humor that has endeared him to some and landed him in trouble.

He joked that if the Bulls take him, “I know we’ve got one Jayhawk (Kirk Hinrich) I’ll have to get along with.”

And he had this to say when asked about the Bulls’ psychological test: “They asked if I was crazy.”

Did he answer yes or no?

“I left that one unanswered,” he said.

Fair or not, one of the major issues surrounding him is his character.