Malik Monk to Kentucky: Wildcats Land 5-Star SG Prospect

Kentucky picked up a marquee addition for its 2016 class on Wednesday in the form of Malik Monk. The shooting guard was one of the top five prospects available and should make an immediate impact for the Wildcats.

Bo Mattingly of SportsTalk with Bo Mattingly was first to report the commitment, reporting Monk informed Arkansas of his intention to sign with Kentucky. Evan Daniels of Scout.com confirmed the report, citing a "source in Monk's camp."

Monk is a 5-star prospect who rates as the No. 6 overall player in the class and the top combo guard, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. As one would expect, several of the nation's top programs recruited him before he made his final decision.

After Monk snubbed Arkansas, Razorbacks alumni and current Chicago Bull Bobby Portis commented on the recruit's decision:

The Bentonville (Arkansas) High School product has been on the recruiting radar for a while. While he's always been a tremendous athlete, he's done a terrific job of becoming a more well-rounded basketball player amid the spotlight.

He's an aggressive guard capable of attacking the paint and finishing above the rim. But he's also become more consistent from mid-range and beyond the arc and is developing a better understanding of when to distribute rather than going for a contested layup.

Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal passed along comments from Daniels about what makes Monk so intriguing.

"He's an electric athlete," Daniels said. "When he gets out in transition, he's a threat to shoot over you or dunk on you—and that's a regular thing. I think everybody who watches Malik Monk is kind of looking for that next big, highlight-reel dunk."

Corey Evans of the Roundball Rundown Report provided some insight into the development of the rising star's game:

His defense is still a work in progress, but that's an area Kentucky head coach John Calipari can help work on, because a lack of effort isn't the issue for Monk. He'll also need to add more strength to his frame as he continues to climb the ranks, especially before he tries to survive the grueling nature of an 82-game NBA season.

That said, his offensive ability is already on a level where he should make a major impact right out of the gate in college. Aside from getting used to the speed of the game, there's little stopping him from being a go-to scorer right away.

How long he stays before he decides he's ready to make the NBA jump is a mystery. Most top prospects have followed the one-and-done philosophy as of late, and he could follow suit as long as he feels physically ready to play pro ball. 

If Monk is looking to make a quick jump to the Association, Calipari will be the perfect mentor, given his track record of rapidly molding NBA talent at Kentucky.

That possibility doesn't take any luster away from landing him, though. Monk will provide a nice boost to the program, even if it's just for one year.