5-star recruit Malik Monk wants to be more than a mixtape legend

Malik Monk’s eyes popped as he stole in the ball in the backcourt during the semifinals of the Nike Global Challenge. The college coaches watching along the sideline snapped to attention, and the mixtape camera men on the baseline quickly got into position. When Malik Monk gets in the open court with no one between him and the basket, you better prepare yourself. There’s no better show in AAU basketball.

As one of the elite guards in the class of 2016, Monk came to Chicago this past weekend with little to prove. He’s been near the top of his class from the moment rankings started to materialize. At this point, scouts and coaches think they know what they’re getting -- a high-flying guard with unlimited shooting range who just might be the most electrifying player in the country.

It sounds great, but Monk aspires to something more. This is his eternal challenge: giving people what they want while also proving his game has grown beyond show-stopping dunks and pull-up threes. Monk wants to be known as a complete player. In that regard, his journey is just getting started.

Monk rose to notoriety a year ago on Nike’s EYBL tour by detonating one opponent at a time for the Arkansas Wings. He famously dropped 59 points in a single game and went on to finish third in the league in scoring at more than 21 points per game as an incoming junior. It wasn’t just the gaudy statistics, it was the way Monk was putting them up.

It sounds sacrilegious to compare anyone’s bounce to Russell Westbrook, but at his best, Monk can be that explosive. Where most players’ jumps would plateau, Monk continues to rise. Even with a wiry 185-pound frame, Monk has a way of not just dunking over people, but dunking through them. YouTube has all the proof you need:

The high school level has seen plenty of jaw-dropping athletes turn into mixtape celebrities, but flame out at the next level. As the No. 5 player in his class according to ESPN, Monk has a safeguard against that. Dunking isn’t the basis of his game, it’s a complement to his elite scoring instincts and knock-down jump shooting ability.

Monk is of the rare breed that could one day win both a dunk contest and a three-point shootout. He shot over 36 percent from three-point range on the EYBL, which is even more impressive when you consider how much defenses keyed in on him. These weren’t catch-and-shoot attempts from the corner, they were twisting drives against multiple defenders off the dribble.

There’s little doubt that Monk has what it takes to be a great college player. Many expect he’ll only be at that level for a year. The problem with projecting Monk to the NBA is that there’s a glass ceiling for 6’3 shooting guards without great length (Monk’s wingspan has measured at 6’6). Monk very well could have a long career as an undersized scorer a la Lou Williams, but there’s one way he could really boost his pro stock.

“I think I’m going to focus on more becoming a point guard,” Monk said at the Global Challenge. “I’m not that tall yet. I know I feel comfortable with the ball and without the ball.”

Monk has played shooting guard for most of his life, but often brought the ball up the court for his high school team and in AAU. Of course, being a steady point guard involves a lot more than that. If he make a full-time commitment to learning to play point, there’s likely to be some growing pains.

All of it showed at the Global Challenge. Monk made some terrific passes throughout the weekend -- full-court bounce passes to jumpstart fast breaks, touch passes in the halfcourt, no looks to cutters streaking to the basket -- but also turned the ball over fairly often.

He finished as the tournament MVP for the victorious USA South squad by averaging 21.8 points and six assists per game. He made 46.2 percent of the 6.5 three-pointers he attempted per game. The official score sheet didn’t keep track of dunks, but he might have had 20 in the USA South’s four-game run. It’s worth noting that he also averaged 3.8 turnovers a game.

The style of AAU ball almost invites turnovers, with teams trying to score in transition even after made baskets and coaches continually emphasizing pace. Monk is incredible in AAU ball. But when the game slows down at the next level and the level beyond that, will he still be able to thrive with bigger, longer, stronger defenders on him?

As an 18-year-old going into his senior year of high school, Monk knows there’s no rush. He doesn’t have any timetable to make his college choice, but most believe it will come down to his home state of Arkansas and Kentucky.

At Arkansas, Monk would be following in the family tradition started by his brother Marcus, who played wide receiver for the Razorbacks seven years ago, and his cousin Ky Madden, who started at point guard for Arkansas last season. He’d also be the star of the program. The entire Arkansas team has showed up to Monk’s high school games to watch him play on more than one occasion.

At Kentucky, Monk would enter John Calipari’s one-and-done factory as a star recruit, but that wouldn’t make him particularly unique.

“Arkansas says they want me to be the face of the program,” Monk said. “At Kentucky, it’s not the face of the program. Kentucky’s going to bring in a bunch of top guys. (John Calipari) just tells me I’m one of his top priorities.”

From a certain perspective, Monk may seem like a finished product. He’s a cold-blooded scorer who should play professionally for a long time. If he wants NBA stardom, though, Monk may have a long road of development ahead of him, just like Westbrook did when he came out of UCLA as a shooting guard next to Darren Collison.

It makes Monk something of a rare prospect: he has both a high floor as a supplementary scorer, and a high ceiling as someone talented enough to be a star. In the short term, no college opponent will be safe. Either way, when Malik Monk takes to the air, you know you’ll be watching.