Malik Monk has been dubbed as "the next Vince Carter for his athleticism, and it has recruiting juggernaut Kentucky locked in a battle with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The athletic 6-3 guard is a native of Arkansas and the Razorbacks are already grooming him to become the face of the program. His chance to be a hometown hero and fully own the spotlight is the main pull of Arkansas.
However, Arkansas Fight cited that Kentucky has some aces up its sleeve. For one thing, Monk attended LeBron James' Skills Academy and it was rumored that James' closeness with Kentucky coach John Calipari gave him a lead.
Another point in the Wildcats' case is that fellow Arkansas Wings alumni Archie Goodwin chose Kentucky over Arkansas in 2011. Apparently, being in Kentucky assures a player that he'll be in the national spotlight all the time, even if you're not the center of attention.
While Kentucky fell short of the NBA Finals, they still sent three freshmen to the NBA Lottery, 1st pick Karl Anthony Towns, no.12 Trey Lyles and no. 13 Devin Booker. The feat is remarkable because the players had limited playing time because of the insanely loaded roster. Bottom line is, no matter the stat line, NBA teams pick Kentucky recruits.
Why are the teams fighting hard for the services of Malik Monk? He is one of the most electrifying scorers in the Nike EYBL circuit, which is practically the champions' league of high school basketball. He broke scoring records when he dropped 40 and 59 in two separate games.
Still, the knack on Monk's game is that he is one-dimensional-an impression he sought to erase when he took MVP honors in the Nike Global Challenge. He showed an ability to run plays for his team.
This was noted by no less than ESPN: "..coming off an MVP performance at last week's Nike Global Challenge, when he played exclusively with the ball in his hands, Monk continued to show the instincts to eventually slide over. "
For most colleges, being a "Vince Carter" which will bring the fans in droves, even for one season is more than enough. Whichever college he chooses, they'll get highlight reels all season long, just like these: