Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Malik Monk Wants To Be The Best
The Kentucky Wildcats have reloaded with one of the most prolific recruiting classes in program history. Malik Monk wants to stand out from the pack.
The 2016 class of recruits ranks amongst the most prolific John Calipari has ever pulled. He landed five five-star players, per both ESPN and Rivals, which has inevitably sparked the conversation that the Kentucky Wildcats could reemerge as championship favorites.
Perhaps the most tantalizing and polarizing player on the 2016-17 Wildcats is freshman combo guard Malik Monk.
Monk is ranked No. 9 on both the Rivals 150 and the ESPN 100. Though eight players may be in front of him, Monk fully intends to become the No. 1 player in the country.
In an exclusive interview with Metz Camfield of CoachCal.com, Monk made his intentions very clear: he wants to be the best.
"“I don’t pay attention to anything,” Monk said of recruiting rankings. “Just whoever steps in front of me I’m just trying to … show them I’m the best.“I want to be the best.”"
That’s the type of mentality that great players tend to have.
Monk is a 6’3.5″ and 187-pound combo guard with a 6’6″ wingspan and explosive athleticism. He’s made his name as a dunk artist, thus far, but there are layers to his game that coach Calipari is hoping to peel back in 2016-17.
Though some are still uncertain about which position he’ll play, Monk has the upside to be one of the best all-around playmakers in the country.
With De’Aaron Fox penciled in as the Wildcats’ starting point guard, Monk will have an opportunity to prove himself at the 2. He has big shoes to fill after Jamal Murray’s unforgettable season in Lexington in 2015-16.
More importantly, he has fierce competition in the returning Isaiah Briscoe, who’ll be looking to improve upon a productive, but inefficient 2015-16 campaign.
With competition from within, Monk will need to put his money where his mouth is. He must establish his position and improve his 3-point jump shot, but more importantly, he needs to prove that he’s comfortable playing within the scheme.
Per Camfield, Monk knows exactly how quickly a player can be exposed on the collegiate scene.
"“You gotta be (serious), because if you’re not – like I said, you’re on the collegiate level now you’re gonna get exposed by anything,” Monk said. “Any little detail or anything you do wrong is going to be on TV and somebody can find it out in film and expose you on it. You gotta be focused and sharp the whole game.”"
That awareness is a promising sign.
Monk’s effortless athleticism will endear him to Wildcats fans from Day 1. His ability to get out in transition and play above the rim is complemented by a smooth midrange game and uncanny creativity when attacking the basket.
Between his paralyzing change of motion and his relentlessness in getting to the rim, Monk should excel as a slasher in 2016-17.
The question is, can Monk shake his critics by proving that he has a defined position? That process will consist of establishing himself as an off-ball player, proving he can facilitate, and defending at a high level.
Monk isn’t too worried about those who believe he’ll fail that test.
"“Confidence is the key. If you don’t have confidence – self-confidence for sure – I don’t think you can do anything,” Monk said. “If you don’t have confidence in yourself you might as well just stay in the house or something because you don’t want to do anything. If you don’t have any confidence to do it it’s not going to work.”"
If nothing else, Wildcats fans should love how confident Monk is in his own abilities.
With a backcourt of Briscoe, Fox, and Monk, the Wildcats project to have the most explosive guards in the country. The question for all three players, however, is how well can they space the floor?
Monk has certainly showed signs of being able to excel in that capacity.
The good news for Kentucky is that Monk and Fox were the co-MVPs of the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic. Thus, they’ve already established that, on pure talent, they rank amongst the best in this recruiting class.
The next task is proving that they can do it against the next level of competition.
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Everyone wants to be great. In the very near future, Kentucky fans will learn of whether or not Monk is willing to put the work in.