A strong-framed guard prospect; showed he could get downhill and finish strong in traffic as well as space the floor with his ability to shoot the ball on the perimeter; utilized his frame well to get past defenders and make things happen off the bounce; physical guard with potential in SC’s 2028 class

If you like tough, physical, hard nosed guards then Malik is your kind of guard. Malik’s aggressive approach to getting downhill was impressive. Regardless of if it was a bigger defender, he still found ways to get to the rim and convert. There is not any shying away from contact from Malik as he typically initiates it first. When he gets to the rim, the blend of up and unders, floaters, and push shots make it difficult for shot blockers to affect his attempts.

Coming off a 3A state title, his contributions to winning are noticeable on both ends of the floor. Not only does he score effectively at the rim but defensively he has active hands to disrupt ball handlers as well as altering shots at the rim. Effective mover without the ball and a violent cutter off backdoors or curl actions. The shooting is the swing skill and while he wasn’t a knockdown shooter, he Is more than capable off the catch. Blending that with his relentless downhill attacking should elevate him in the rankings as he continues to progress.

Malik made some key plays in the second half to boost the Raiders. They matched up with The Walker School (GA) in Saturday’s first game – a good test for the defending 3A State Champs. Brunson was crucial to the crunch-time closeout, hitting three second-half threes and adding an offensive putback and a nice baseline finish. His shooting success created more driving lanes for himself and others, and he is a guy that his coach trusts to run plays for. Malik finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds in the win.