Evaluation: What Syracuse is Getting in Maliq Brown
Syracuse basketball picked up a commitment from 2022 power forward Maliq Brown on Saturday. What is the Orange getting in Brown? The 6-9, 210 pounder is a physical interior presence who plays with a lot of energy. He is the prototypical hustle player that every good team needs. Length and strength is the name of his game.
Brown is just a good basketball player who rebounds well, plays good defense and can finish inside. He is a very smart defensive player who has the wingspan to cover a lot of space from the wing to the basket. Also, in high school, he is used in press defense a lot. When Syracuse gets in situation where it needs to press, Brown can be an asset either defending the inbounder and then trapping, or plays back to cover the secondary player.
Offensively, he moves well without the ball and can get into position for a guard to drop the ball off to him to finish. He has good hands and efficient finisher. Brown also sets screens very well and can roll off of them. In transition, Brown can run the floor to provide another finishing option. To take his game to the next level, gaining consistency on a mid-range jumper would do wonders. That is an area he has continuously worked on, even extending out to the three point line on occasion.
Brown is a nice get for Syracuse. A very good athlete who started out as a 6-4 quarterback/wide receiver on the football team, and developed into a 6-9 basketball first power forward. He should provide energy, grit and hustle right away with the potential to develop into an impactful physical presence on both ends.