In speaking to 10 different NBA scouts and executives this season, each one used the same term when describing Villanova sophomore guard Maalik Wayns.
Quick. That he is.
Wayns grabs a rebound and dribbles coast-to-coast arguably as fast as any player in college basketball. He’s that quick.
Paired alongside senior Corey Fisher, Wayns continues to improve. He had 18 assists — nine each — against Rutgers and South Florida. Then he scored 15 huge points in Villanova’s victory over previously unbeaten Cincinnati last Sunday at The Pavilion.
“My job, being the captain and the leader of the team, I’ve got to play hard for 40 minutes,” Fisher said. “If I foul out, we’ve got guys like Maalik that are going to step up. If Maalik’s in foul trouble and I’m not, I’ve got to pick it up. That’s what we’ve got teammates for.”
Despite picking up four fouls versus Cincinnati, Wayns didn’t change his style. The same quickness was there.
“If you take my aggressiveness away, my game is not the same,” Wayns said. “So I just try to play my game the same way.”
