Previous Rank:275

-The cat-quick scoring guard thrived in transition as a scoring guard that doesn’t need a ball screen to get to his spots. His ability to change gears and rev up his pace in tight gaps in the defense made him a difficult 1 on 1 matchup throughout the season for a scrappy Northwest team. Malhotra’s penchant for scoring in bunches helped swing the momentum in several games throughout the season.

5p vs Whitman

-Malhotra started the game off well to show how well he handles ball pressure, flying past his matchup or double teams to consistently create advantage situations for his teams before he went down with an injury. Still, in the time that I saw him he showed that he can run a team, throw live dribble passes with either hand, and score around the rim through contact. His best play came on a great double cross into the 1-handed dime to a cutting big a the rim for the and1- layup.

Kush has made huge strides of improvement as he heads into his senior year. Northwest will have a deep stable of guards, and Kush will be a big part to the team’s motor. He has vastly improved his ability to score off the dribble and create for himself. Kush shot the ball tremendously well for Team Vito over the AAU period, but I was also impressed with his movement off-the-ball. He knew how to get to his spots and make himself effective without the ball in his hands. Showed true confidence handling the ball and creating space for himself to make shots. Interested to see how his final year shapes out in the rugged MoCo league play.

Kush led the scoring charts for Vito Official on route to a MADE Hoops Nationals Championship. Very aggressive in finding his shot as the team was shorthanded in terms of their usual firepower. Kush finished a number of games with 20 points and never finished with under 10 through five games. His 3pt shooting was on full display, sinking shots from all over the perimeter whether firing off the catch or taking a step or two around the closeout. Kush moved well without the ball which helped force the defense to make shifts that created open opportunities for the team. Stayed active defensively, notching a number of steals through the weekend.

Northwest’s offense was outstanding in the second half of their win over St. Mary’s Annapolis, and their two guards were a big reason why. Kush Malhotra was outstanding in the second half, and after struggling with his shot early, he did a good job getting to the rim and using his defense to get easy buckets in transition. He found his jump shot in the second half and finished with 26 points.