Malik Monk

With Josh Jackson, Malik Monk Out, What Impression Did They Leave

... most with his tournament performance. Fox's athleticism was on full display in every game, particularly in Kentucky's win over UCLA. We broke down Ball's performance in that game at length, but Fox's performance shouldn't be understated. First things first: Fox's defensive potential is very high, sporting ridiculously fast feet and long arms. While he will need to add size to deal with strong NBA guards (don't be surprised if he gets posted up frequently in his first couple of years), he could be a special point guard stopper. Fox is far from just a defensive prospect, however. He is also a gifted distributor with an elite handle. On multiple occasions against UCLA, Fox broke his defender down with a vicious crossover (and yes, that defender was often Lonzo Ball), then either made a nice pass or finished around the rim. He was particularly tough in transition, where defenders struggled mightily to contain his ability to change speeds on a ...

Visiting Lepanto, Arkansas

... Perhaps it’s because they know better than most how much different his life is now. Sam Young saw it when he visited Lexington, Ky., for a game earlier this season, ate filet mignon at a fancy restaurant and couldn’t believe how much the meal cost. Hope Young noted that she often finds herself asking people, “How are you related to Malik?”. “They are coming out of the woodwork,” Sam Young said, alluding to the NBA riches his grandson will soon earn. “I don’t want to know. It’s their business.”. Added Hope Young: “He has a backbone in his mom and Marcus. They deal with some heavy stuff.”. Buy Photo. Damani Coleman, 5, (left) and D'Marious Buchanan, 3, play at "The Woodz," the courts where University of Kentucky standout freshman Malik Monk shined during his early years in Lepanto, Ark. (Photo: Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal). 'A Benedict Arnold'. For better or worse, Lepanto always served as Monk's natural insulant. It is still the type of place where, “you don’t even have to lock the doors to leave the house because everybody knows everybody," Madden said. And so, as Sam Young leaned against his truck one day last week, ...

The Return Of Malik Monk's Shot Was A Warm Welcome For Kentucky

... points set an NCAA Tournament freshman scoring record. He delivered a knockout blow in the Fox vs. Lonzo Ball bout. But Monk’s perimeter shooting opened wide lanes for Fox. “Don’t nobody leave me,” Monk said. “I tell him to come to my side of the floor if he wants to score.”. And the slashing Fox, shooting Monk and senior contributions between Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins is what makes Kentucky maddening in March for opponents. Up next is North Carolina in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats and Tar Heels will tip off at 5:05 p.m. ET in Memphis on Friday. It’s a rematch of Kentucky’s 103-100 win in December — a night where Monk exploded for 47 points. He showed glimpses of the fire catching ability Friday night, a possible prequel to the North Carolina showdown. “People want to say a lot of stuff when he misses, and write ...

Unc's Theo Pinson Hopes To Make Difference Against Malik Monk

... their loss earlier this season, and the match up against the Wildcats in the NCAA South Regional Final on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, TN. Robert WIllett __link__. UNC junior forward Theo Pinson, who didn’t play the first time the Tar Heels played against Kentucky this season, said on Saturday that he expects a “grind it out type game” this time around. Robert Willett __link__. 1 of 2. Order Reprint of this Story. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The first time North Carolina played Kentucky, back on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas, Theo Pinson, the junior forward, watched from the bench while he continued to recover from the broken foot that forced him to miss the first half of the season. The Tar Heels endured a 103-100 defeat. Kentucky's Malik Monk scored 47 points. And Pinson wondered what if. What if he'd ...

Malik Monk Is Uk’s Sixth Wooden All-american In Calipari Era

... scoring in all but two games this season. With 14 points in the second-round game against Wichita State, he became UK’s all-time leading freshman scorer with 721 points, passing Jamal Murray’s output of 720 from a season ago. His record-breaking season ends with 754 points scored. That’s fourth all-time in UK’s history books regardless of class, trailing only Dan Issel (948; 1970), Jodie Meeks (854; 2009) and Jamal Mashburn (767; 1992). Monk produced 18 games of 20 points or more, including a Kentucky freshman record 47 points against North Carolina in December. Monk is the only freshman in program history with four 30-point games, and six times this season he scored at least 20 points in a half. Monk made 104 three-pointers on the season, not far behind Jodie Meeks’ school record of 117. His Wooden All-American honors joins a long list of awards this postseason for Monk. They include. ▪  SEC Player of the Year (AP). ▪  ...

Tar Heels On Bam Adebayo, Isaac Humphries, Malik Monk

... he hit some big shots whenever they went on that run. Hats off to Kentucky. That’s a great team with a lot of young guys, and for them to be in that scenario against a team like us that’s a little more mature, hats off to them. But I love these guys. You know, I wouldn’t trade this coaching staff, these knuckleheads of brothers that I’ve got, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Q. Justin, Twitter went on fire when you were talking to Malik Monk, like literally everyone is saying they haven’t seen you so aggressive. What do you say to that, and I’m sure when you get back, they’re going to talk about it, you being so aggressive on the court. JUSTIN JACKSON: Just a little friendly banter. You know, Malik is a great player. And for me, I was assigned the duty of trying to slow him down a little bit, and so you can get fired up a little bit. That’s rare for me, but at this stage and at this point of the season, I feel like there’s really nothing that you should keep in. Q. Did you take it as a personal challenge when you scored 47 against you guys last game to not let him take over the game this year, this game. JUSTIN JACKSON: You know, for me, I knew he’s a great player, so I ...

Kentucky Star Malik Monk Of Lepanto, Arkansas

... Sunday, March 19, 2017. Kentucky defeated Wichita State 65-62. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy). Michael Conroy, AP. Kentucky's Malik Monk (5) shoots between Duquesne's Tarin Smith (3) and Mike Lewis II (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp). James Crisp, AP. Kentucky's Malik Monk (5) shoots while defended by Arkansas' Moses Kingsley during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp). James Crisp, AP. Florida's Ke Vaughn Allen, bottom, dunks under the defense of Kentucky's Malik Monk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky won 76-66. (AP Photo/James Crisp). James Crisp, AP. Kentucky guard Malik Monk (5) shoots over Alabama guard Corban Collins (3) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament Saturday, March 11, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP ...

Malik Monk's Block 'biggest Play Of The Game' For Kentucky

... offense, smiled. “Probably none,” he said. “Probably my first one.”. With 16 seconds left, Wichita State forward Markis Mc Duffie jabbed, took one dribble to his right, and pulled up for a 3-pointer that would’ve given the Shockers a 2-point lead. But Monk, a shooter whose own shot has not been falling lately, met Mc Duffie in the air and delivered  the biggest block  — the biggest defensive play — of his career. “I was just timing his dribble,” Monk said. “I knew he was gonna shoot the 3 at some point. As soon as he picked it up I knew I timed his jump shot perfectly.”. Malik Monk with the HUGE block! #March Madness __link__/o VQE 9 Jc H 0 E. — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 19, 2017. Monk’s block was the prequel to Bam Adebayo’s last-second swat that sealed the game. Together they led to a 65-62 ...

De'aaron Fox, Malik Monk Don't Help Draft Cases In Elite 8

... a presence with his man. Moreover, Fox’s snake-quick hands led to his two steals. However, the Tar Heels went under screens set for him, thereby letting him shoot from beyond the arc — and a pull-right 15-footer was airmailed. Moreover, although Fox was repeatedly able to take his left-handed slants into the paint, five of his layups attempts were blocked. Although he’ll still be an upper-echelon draft pick, Fox needs to work on his shooting and his ability to finish in a crowd to excel in the NBA. Given his superior athleticism, this should take him one, perhaps, two seasons. MONK — 4-of-10 (3-of-6 from 3) for 13 points in 30 minutes. AP Photo/Brandon Dill. At 6’3” and 200 pounds, Monk is a tweener. He lacks the skills to be a point guard in the NBA, but is somewhat undersized to play shooting guard. And shooting is what Monk does best. Not super-quick with the ball, Monk needs screens to get his shots off. Tightly defended by Justin Jackson, Monk forced and missed several jumpers from near and far. Besides his trio of triples, his ...

Malik Monk Could Become A Darling Of The Dance

... who can catch fire and carry a team when everything is on the line. Even better news for second-seeded Kentucky as it begins the 2017 NCAA Tournament: Monk is due. “For sure,” he said Thursday, wearing a wide grin. “My teammates know what I can do, know what I’m capable of, and if I get hot, they’ll just give me the ball. I’m happy my teammates will do that for me.”. The last four games, though, those teammates have taken up the slack while Monk muddled along in a mini-slump. Since following a 33-point game against Florida with a 27-point outburst against Vanderbilt at the end of February, Monk has made just 32.5 percent of his shots, including only 3 of 15 from 3-point range. RELATED: Calipari’s preseason prediction for Bam is coming true. But in his mind, that merely means the next nuclear explosion is just around the corner. He’s yet to go more than four consecutive games without scoring more than 20 points –  his current drought ties that mark – so look out. Monk is the ...

Tar Heels Know There's More To Wildcats Than Malik Monk, But

... how you get better,” Pinson said. “Just keeping the ball out of his hands as much as you can, but great scorers, they’re going to get the ball in their hands.”. Of course, things have changed since that meeting on Dec. 17, with Carolina players looking back on the loss as a turning point in their season — a night that they learned a tough lesson on defending with effort on every possession. More often than not, the Tar Heels would be good enough to outscore opponents, but why chance it. It’s not just Monk who’s a cause for concern, with De’Aaron Fox posting a career-high 39 points in Friday night’s victory over UCLA. Isaiah Briscoe is capable of a 20-point night, while Dominique Hawkins and Derrick Willis can spread the floor with their 3-point shooting. There’s only one solution, and that’s to defend the way the Tar Heels never did during the track meet in Las Vegas. That starts with setting the tone by making life tough on Monk and going from there. “Coach always says, ‘Try to guard someone like how you don’t like to be guarded,’ ” guard Joel Berry said. “If we can get up into ...

A Little Friendly Banter' With Monk

... he's called for the foul on UNC's Justin Jackson late in the second half as the Tarheels outlasted the Wildcats 75-73 Sunday at the Elite Eight game in Memphis. Matt Stone/C-J, Matt Stone/CJ. Buy Photo. Derek Willis lands on UNC's Luke Maye as he guards him in the second half. March 26, 2017. By Michael Clevenger, C-J. Roy Williams talks with Theo Pinson in the second half. March 26, 2017. By Michael Clevenger, C-J. Buy Photo. North Carolina's Luke Maye celebrates after hitting the game-winning three-point shot over Kentucky in the closing seconds Sunday at the Elite Eight game in Memphis. Matt Stone/C-J, Matt Stone/CJ. Buy Photo. Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox couldn't score past UNC's Justin Jackson late in the second half as the Tarheels outlasted the Wildcats 75-73 Sunday at the Elite Eight game in Memphis. Matt Stone/C-J, Matt Stone/CJ. Buy Photo. A disappointed Derek Willis of Kentucky talks to the media after the loss to North Carolina Sunday at the last Elite Eight game. Matt Stone/C-J, Matt Stone/CJ. Buy Photo. Malik Monk almost forces a turnover against ...