SBLive Boys Basketball Recruiting Rankings: Auburn's Maleek Arington ranked No. 11 in Washington
In an effort to shine a brighter spotlight on Washington high school basketball players, we are introducing our first-ever SBLive Boys Basketball Recruiting Rankings.
Our rankings are compiled by SBLive Basketball Analyst Dan Dickau based on observations and conversations with an extensive network of coaching and media sources across the country. The players have been evaluated through a college recruiting lens and analyzed in four categories: athleticism, ball skills, basketball IQ and upside.
Over the next few weeks we will continue to roll out our Top 25 players in Washington. Here’s a closer look at No. 11 on the list, Auburn point guard Maleek Arington:
MALEEK ARINGTON
SBLIVEWARANKING: NO. 11
➡️ HEIGHT: 6-FOOT-3
➡️ WEIGHT: 170 POUNDS
➡️POSITION: POINT GUARD
➡️CLASS: 2022
➡️HIGHSCHOOL: AUBURN
➡️HIGH SCHOOL COACH: RYAN HANSEN
➡️CLUB TEAM: SEATTLE STARS
➡️OFFERS: MONTANA, WASHINGTON STATE
➡️TWITTER: @aringtonmaleek
DICKAU’S ANALYSIS
ATHLETICISM: Arington's athleticism started to emerge over the course of summer and fall AAU games. Couple this with the fact he has grown to 6-foot-3 and he now has the ability to finish above the rim. He has good length, quick hands and lateral quickness to use to his advantage on the defensive end.
BALL SKILLS: He can score. He can distribute. And he can defend. These are all very important traits of good point guards, and Arington has all of them. With his newfound size and athleticism he is now able to make plays he couldn’t make in the past. He is a good — not a great — shooter at this time, but his work ethic will help that improve in time.
BASKETBALL IQ: Arington has a very good feel for the game and a high basketball IQ. His father, Marc, played collegiately and the lessons of work ethic and understanding of the game have obviously sunk in. Possibly the best description of him is that he’s a winner … he doesn’t care who gets the credit and he just wants to win. This is an undervalued trait that the best coaches love.
UPSIDE: Several Division I schools are showing interest and he has a couple of offers already. Many high school coaches in Washington feel Arington is the best point guard prospect regardless of class in the state because of his ability to balance scoring, distributing and his willingness to play defense.
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NO. 25: OMARI MAULANA, LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
NO. 24: KELSON GEBBERS, BREWSTER
NO. 23: TYCE PAULSEN, CURTIS
NO. 22: GAVIN MARRS, ELLENSBURG
NO. 21: COBI CAMPBELL, PUYALLUP
NO. 20: TYLER BILODEAU, KAMIAKIN
NO: 19: COOPER CHURCH, TAHOMA
NO. 18: CAYDEN MCDANIEL, WILSON
NO. 17: QUIN PATTERSON, MOUNT SI
NO. 16: TYLER MRUS, SEATTLE PREP
NO. 15: JULIAN AGOSTO, NATHAN HALE
NO. 14: TREVON BLASSINGAME, AUBURN
NO. 13: BRAEDEN SMITH, SEATTLE PREP
NO. 12: KOBE YOUNG, CHIAWANA
NO. 11: MALEEK ARINGTON, AUBURN