Malik Duffy makes the extra effort to say hello when he walks by your office. He looks for ways to help when he has some free time, or for someone to talk with about life. The massive Chico State men's basketball player is a dream of a student-athlete. He's also an absolute nightmare for opponents.
One of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the history of the program, Duffy drilled five more triples Saturday, finishing with 19 points while pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds (matching his career high) in the Wildcats' 81-61 win against rival Sonoma State. Duffy, the Wildcat of the Week, also dished out three assists and grabbed a steal. He stretches the defense with his shooting range, applies a different kind of offensive pressure when he's in the paint, and his play on the defensive end might quietly be where he provides the most value to the unbeaten Wildcats (8-0), who host rival Humboldt State Saturday at 7:30.
Since a bit of a slow start in the Wildcats' season-opening weekend, Duffy is averaging 16.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocked shots per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 53 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the free throw line. He's on pace to become the eighth player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point and 500-rebound milestones.
Duffy is one of the early frontrunners for California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year honors. In conference play, he ranks among the top 10 in scoring (18.5 ppg), field-goal percentage (.538), 3-point percentage (.560), free throw percentage (.857), 3-pointers per game (3.5), and blocked shots (1.0 bpg), and 12th in rebounding (6.3 rpg).
