Moving up and moving on
Malik takes a breather during a recent practice session.
Photo by Marc F. Henning
Last semester, Malik had trouble acclimating to the logistics at his new school (e.g. ID cards, passwords, email addresses) and how much faster his classes moved compared to East Poinsett County. But his coach and brother said he has adjusted and with the help of a tutor is doing better this semester.
Life for Malik revolves around the routines of study, practice, workouts and travel to games. He finds time to play NBA 2K14, attend church with Dixon, listen to favorite rappers like Kevin Gates and Lil’ Herb and cheer on the Bentonville volleyball or junior high basketball teams.
“He’s a very polite and respectful young man,” Passmore said. “Any time I’ve spoken to him, he’s always addressed me in a professional manner.”
That’s not to say this is Tim Duncan 2.0 out there. In games, Malik often wears his emotions on his sleeve. There’s a good side to that, though.
“We charted over a three- or four-game span and he was giving out 30 or 40 high fives in a game,” McMahan said. “He was probably the best guy on our team at recognizing a good play by someone else.”
Malik soars down the lane during a recent practice.
Photo by Marc F. Henning
But Malik would also get demonstrably frustrated on the court, whether it be with the way a referee was calling fouls, how a teammate was rolling to the basket or his own loose dribbling. Caudle said during the regular season he sometimes had to calm Malik down.
If ever there was a game that presented the perfect opportunity for Malik to lose his cool, it was Monday afternoon’s semifinal showdown with the state’s defending 7A champion
North Little Rock, which is loaded with four or five future Division I players, including Razorback signee
Anton Beard and
KeVaughn Allen, one of the top shooting guard prospects in the Class of 2015.
North Little Rock is the powerhouse Bentonville wants to become, and on Monday the defending champs landed an early upper cut on the challenger, jumping out to an 18-6 lead. Bentonville clawed back to pull within 34-31 with 12 seconds left in the first half after Malik’s step-back 3-pointer, but Beard, who ended up making five of six 3-point attempts, responded with a 3-pointer of his own.
Malik played more as a point guard early on, but became more aggressive as the game wore on.
He finished with 14 points in the game’s final 6:24 (for a total of 30 points including 5-of-10 on 3-pointers), but it wasn’t enough to counteract 28-point efforts by Allen and Beard. North Little Rock won 77-64, but even as it pulled away in the second half, Malik kept his composure.
If he continues to improve, and help his teammates to improve, it will be a surprise if Bentonville doesn’t win a title soon. Especially when considering all but two players should return next year.
Malik wished he’d played harder at times against North Little Rock but for the most part was pleased with an effort that included nine rebounds and three assists. He said poor transition defense early ultimately doomed Bentonville.
"You have to learn from it," he added.
Because while a season-ending loss stings, it also provides an opportunity for those hungry to improve themselves.
After the game, Malik boarded a bus with his teammates. The young men headed west.
Malik enjoys a laugh with teammates while changing in the locker room following a recent practice. The youngster is enjoying the perks that come with playing for a school located in one of the most prosperous parts of Arkansas.
Photo by Marc F. Henning
