A Closer Look – Abdul Malik Abu

Throughout the 2012-13 season, Friarbasketball.com will take a closer look at a number of key Friar targets.  Our staff will continue to provide in-person reports the top Friar targets all season, and provide updates on prospects who have been previously featured.  

Prospect: Abdul Malik Abu

Position: Power Forward

School: Kimball Union Academy (New Hampshire)

AAU Program: Expressions

Class: 2014

Overview:

One of the names that burst onto the national recruiting scene last summer was Abdul Malik Abu. Virtually unheard of nationally before last spring, Abu wound up on everyone’s Top 100 lists for 2014 by the end of the summer.

This Spring:

My first look at Abdul was at the Providence Jamfest this past April. The first thing that struck me was Abu’s combination of being a wide body physical type of player, yet at the same time having great jumping ability. The second thing I noticed is that he is an absolute beast down low. Every rebound was his and when opposing players drove into the paint they did so at their own peril.

Offensively, Abu was still a work in progress. He had a couple of nice low post moves, but not too much else. Basically, if he got the ball close to the hoop he was going to try to slam it home.

After my first look on the Saturday of Jamfest, Abdul immediately went to the top of my priority list for PC’s 2014 recruiting class. When I arrived at the Jamfest the next day I found out that Abu’s Expressions team had spent the morning touring PC and that the Friars had officially extended an offer to him. At that time Abdul was quoted as having said that Cooley was one of the “realest” people that he had met.

Taking Off Over the Summer:

As the AAU summer schedule played out Abu continued to improve his game. He developed a very nice outside shot which was not on display at the Jamfest. His low post moves also continued to improve. By summer’s end Abdul was rated in the Top 100 for the 2014 class by most of the national scouting services.

Currently, ESPN has Abu ranked 45^th, Rivals 55^th, while Scout does not currently have him in their Top 75 for 2014.

The Providence staff paid very close attention to both Abu, and his good friend, and Expressions teammate Jared Terrell, throughout the summer. There was a member of the PC staff at every one of Abu’s AAU games. No other college has been recruiting him harder.

What Others Are Saying:

ESPN: “Abu is a physical specimen with a powerful build and the high motor to maximize his physical tools. He’s also a gifted athlete who moves well for a player of his size, gets off his feet easily, and is consequently a very good finisher.”

NERR: “There may not be another big man in all of class AA (New England Prep) that can match his power and explosiveness inside the paint.”

RIVALS: “It’s one thing to have explosiveness in the open floor, but Abu rises quickly from the middle of a crowd and has exceptional body control around the rim. He rebounds in and out of his area, runs the floor, plays hard, and is already strong at 233 pounds.”

The Competition:

Abdul has not narrowed down his list of schools yet and is in no rush to make a decision. He has expressed a desire to play college ball with Terrell, but has said this will not be a deal clincher.

PC is currently recruiting both players very hard. Other schools that have made offers to Abu include Boston College, Iowa State, Cincinnati, UConn, Temple, Rutgers, Michigan State, West Virginia, and Maryland.  He did reportedly come away very impressed with Maryland on an unofficial visit there over the summer.

The Bottom Line:

If Ed Cooley has a blackboard in his office listing all of PC’s 2014 recruiting targets I would imagine that Abdul Malik Abu is at the very top of the power forward list. It appears Cooley really wants this young man and you can bet with Ed’s determination Providence will be in it right to the end. He has already built up a good relationship with Ab

dul and will continue to cultivate over the course of this season. Abdul also seems like a very high quality person who would be a great addition to the Friar program, both as a player and a student.

Mixtape Time:

Here are a couple of great highlight reels by Hoopdreams Magazine and BallasTv that show off some of Abdul’s many skills.

One Comment

1. 

   Irvin

   February 16, 2016 at 8:23 pm

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