I believe many Kentucky fans will be able to relate to Kentucky’s next shooting guard.
He likes to shoot on and off the court.
Kentucky Basketball 2016 signee Malik Monk told SlamOnline.com about his love for hunting and how it helped him change his number because of it.
But in the case of the 6-4 top ranked combo guard, the link between animals and basketball has a different origin. His jersey number used to be 35, a nod to Kevin Durant. But then he wanted a number that was more representative of his personality, and that’s where the impact that hunting has had on him becomes apparent.
“I wanted to switch my number to 5 because when God made the earth in seven days, the fifth day was when animals began appearing on earth,” says Monk of the number switch last season. “I watch Animal Planet a lot and I’m actually really into the way African wildlife animals like cheetahs and hyenas move.”
A key skill in hunting is patience, something Monk applied perfectly to his recruiting outlook. At the time of our interview with Monk, there wasn’t a timetable for his decision, despite having taken all of his visits. And while he officially cut his list to six over the summer, the majority of the chatter had boiled down to the Wildcats and the Razorbacks.
I am ready for Monk to get to Kentucky and begin his hunt for a national championship.
If he wins one I will take him squirrel hunting in some pretty good spots in Eastern Kentucky.
