Top 40 Malik Williams a unique big man

Almost more than any other year, the Adidas, Nike and Under Armour sponsored teams have the majority of top-ranked talent playing in their leagues. However, not every ranked player runs with a shoe team; the highest-ranked non-shoe team player is four-star center Malik Williams, who checks in at No. 36 in the class of 2017.

Standing every bit of 6-foot-10, Williams is a unique big man out of Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Snider who runs with Team Legit on the grassroots hoops circuit. He's unique in part because he's a pretty flexible and smooth athlete, but really because of the type of game he plays.

People see a nearly seven-foot tall high schooler with a lean and wiry build like Williams has and they want him to be a low post scorer. However, that's not Williams' game.

Instead, he prefers facing the hoop, shooting jumpers and attacking off the dribble. Though he prefers to play facing up on the offensive end, he's more of a traditional big man on the defensive end where he protects the rim and rebounds the ball.

Williams' recruitment has taken on a decidedly regional flavor as Michigan State, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Michigan are among those who are most active in his recruitment.

Williams discussed his preference for playing as a faceup big, a recent in-home visit with Michigan State - his only one to date - and his decision process.

"I'm really just working hard to be able to be able to get out there, dribble the ball, pass the ball and shoot the ball on the wing and facing the basket. I'm a big so everybody expects me to be down low so when I go out it makes some hard matchups.

"Down low I'm really just working on getting stronger and learning how to play through contact."

"(The Michigan State in-home) was a good time. They like my game and they would love for me to come play with my program and talked about what I need to work on for the next level."

"Right now I really don't know when I'll decide. It's really about where I fit the best. The coaching staff, the campus, the educational atmosphere all of that is important."

Williams is going to be an interesting fit on the college level because in order for him to flourish, he's likely going to need a coach who will let him have some offensive freedom and allow him to play in space. Trying to turn him into a traditional low post player - at least on offense - would take away from what he's most comfortable doing.

That being said, Williams does need to upgrade his low post game and be a little more willing to grind it out in the post. With his size, length and skill potential he could take his game to an entirely new level. Given that he's nearly at an elite level as a prospect as it is, the result could be scary for opposing defenders.

The early thought with Williams was that he could look to have a decision before the end of August. Though we don't expect him to drag it out too long, we would expect him to go a little longer than that and make a few official visits. He looks like a safe bet to stay in Big Ten country and Michigan State, Iowa and Purdue seem to be a little ahead of the pack at this point.