Raised in Normal, Ill., Malik graduated high school from University High School in 2014.
He earned his Associates Degree from Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Ill. in 2016, his Bachelor’s Degree in 2018 in Psychology from Central College in Pella, Iowa and Master's in Education from Grand Canyon University in 2022.
His college basketball playing career started at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif. for the 2014-15 season before transferring to Carl Sandburg College for 2015-2016. Malik finished his collegiate career at Central during the years of 2016-2018. While at Central, Malik was Second Team All-Conference honors in 2018, team defensive MVP in 2017 and 2018, and was part of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Championship runner-up team both seasons. In his senior season, he averaged 15.4 points per game, good for second on the team, and led the Dutch in four other statistical categories, including rebounds (4.9 per game) and assists (3.1 per game). He also holds the school record at Central for most steals in a game.
Malik began coaching in 2018-19 when he was an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill. He then moved on to Millikin University as the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach before returning for a second stint as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Illinois College. He was most recently at Marshalltown Community College as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach and Interim Head Women's Basketball Coach. He's also coached with Midwest Prospect Academy AAU program.
