Malik Johnson '15 Recruiting Profile

When I was younger, my parents made me try every sport available and eventually basketball made its way to the top of my list and stole my heart.  For me, there was no better feeling than being on a basketball court.  Basketball is my passion!

As a player and student of the game, I am always looking to improve my skills. What makes me coachable as a player is that I realize there is always room for improvement and I am always ready to receive critiques from my coaches and work to improve my game. I’m very competitive and I love to win. Wins are extra special when the competition is tough.  My goal is to be surrounded by players with a similar mindset like mine; focused on getting better and at the end of the day winning.

As an 8th grader I tried out for my high schools’ junior varsity team.  Not only did I make the team, I was a starter and was named a captain.  As a high school freshman, I tried out and made the varsity team. Unfortunately, before the season began I tore my ACL in my right knee. I had surgery on knee and started rehabilitation about a week after surgery. Rehab was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life but I was determined to make it through. I set a goal to get my knee back in shape and return back to playing basketball. I missed all of my freshman year and half of my sophomore year of basketball. When I returned my sophomore year, I came off the bench as the 6th man contributing important elements to my teams’ success. As a junior I was a part of my teams “Big Three,” helping to lead my team to a division championship and the runners-up in the section championship game.

As an athlete, I understand the importance of academics. I am a student-athletic first and take great pride in my academic success.  Throughout high school, I have maintained a 3.2 GPA while taking challenging classes, playing basketball and participating in multiple extra-curricular activities. My goal is to find a school where I can play basketball at the next level and improve my skills as well as receive the best secondary education available to me.  I’m looking forward to taking on the challenges in the next phase of my life in the classroom and on the court!