Basketball Star Makes a Difference On, Off the Court

Being a student-athlete can make your head spin. You hustle from workouts to class to practice to work, then back home to study. The pace is frenetic, and the learning curve is steep. Malik Duffy has had days like that since stepping onto campus as a freshman in 2016.

Duffy (Journalism, ’21) doesn’t do frenetic anymore. In fact, the first-year graduate student has grown into one of the steadiest presences in the department as he enters his final season of athletics eligibility.

With a calming attitude, he helps his fellow student-athletes with their schedules and academic progress as the Compliance Office academic support intern. And he produces a monthly newsletter focusing on the intersection of athletics with equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Meanwhile, Duffy has built himself into one of the top Division II men’s basketball players on the West Coast, earning First Team All-Conference honors while leading the NCAA Tournament qualifying Wildcats in scoring and 3-pointers in 2019–20. He aspires to next play professionally overseas.

“I am extremely proud of the way Malik has seized every opportunity to get better on and off the court. He is a leader, and he’s making a positive difference in all that he does,” said coach Greg Clink.