Malik Monk

Malik Ahmad Monk was born in 1998 in Jonesboro, Arkansas to Michael Scales and Jackie Monk. He went to East Poinsett County High School in Lepanto, Arkansas for his freshman year and produced an impressive 22.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Monk transferred to Bentonville High School and eventually averaged 26.6 points as a junior. But it was his senior campaign that got everyone's attention, when he put up 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. That effort led to Monk receiving honors as Arkansas Mr. Basketball, McDonald's All-American, and Jordan Brand Classic All-Star. He was also ranked the No. 9 recruit in the nation in advance of attending the University of Kentucky. You can follow Monk on Twitter (@AhmadMonk) and Instagram (@ahmad_monk). Through the first 10 games of his one season at Kentucky, Monk looked like just another very good scorer. He tallied at least 20 points in six games to help the Wildcats to a 9-1 start. The 11th game against North Carolina simply became known as the Malik Monk game. The 6-foot-3 guard pummeled the Tar Heels for 47 points, including eight three-pointers, to set a UK freshman scoring record. It was the first of his four games with at least 33 points, including the SEC opener against Ole Miss in which he scored 34 points. Monk continued to pour in points, but he had a brief slump at the conclusion of the regular season. He was held to single-digit scoring in consecutive games to close the regular season and in the first game of the SEC tournament. The Wildcats were able to overcome and Monk bounced back with 20 points in the second tourney game. He helped Kentucky advance to the Elite Eight before the Tar Heels got their revenge by holding the guard to 12 points to conclude the Wildcat season. Like many Kentucky players, Monk was one and done, subsequently declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft. He was chosen with the 11th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets.