Wayns is from Philadelphia and at 6'1, being a tough ball player is a staple and necessity in order to excel. "Philadelphia guards play hard," Maalik says and his play fits that bill entirely. The U.S. U-18 coach Bob McKillop feels the same way about Maalik's skills, "He has bought into the concept that a point guard gets us into the offense...his decision-making is impeccable."Maalik has already committed to playing ball for Villanova but will have one more year of high school to complete an already stellar H.S. career. As a junior at Roman Catholic in Philadelphia he averaged 24 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds a game. His all around game was impressive enough to earn him All GBOA 1st Team honors at the East Regional back in May.
But scoring isn't a priority on Maalik's mind on the national team. It's all about defense and coach McKillop agrees stating, "It is a learning process that you need to not just guard your man but you have to be able to defend all five players." This is a practice that Maalik is no stranger to. "Everybody where I come from can play defense...guarding your man and locking him down, that's what's important," he stated.
The U-18 team will play at the FIBA Americas Championship beginning July 14 in Argentina. A fourth place finish or better will give them a berth in next years World Championship in New Zealand.
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