Zack Rosen meets his match in Maalik Wayns

Among opposing players and coaches this season, there’s been a similar theme to postgame press conferences at the Palestra.

They have consistently lauded Penn’s Zack Rosen, labeling him as one of the top points guards in the country and one of the toughest they would face all season.

But on Saturday, when the Quakers take on Big 5 foe Villanova, there could be the same amount of attention and praise heaped on the man who might be tasked with stopping Rosen, junior point guard Maalik Wayns.

Like Rosen, Wayns leads his team in points, assists and minutes played. And like Rosen, Wayns is one of the top point guards in the country.

If Wildcats coach Jay Wright has already assigned Wayns with the job of neutralizing Penn’s top weapon, though, Wayns will not admit to it.

“I know that Rosen is a good player, but I don’t know if I’ll be matched up with him,” he said.

He would certainly pose the toughest challenge Rosen has seen so far this season. Wayns is considered by many to be a first-round pick if he chooses to enter the NBA Draft after this season.

Wayns said, if called upon, he would play Rosen like anyone else.

“I’ll just defend hard, depend on my teammates,” he explained. “It’s not just me versus Zack Rosen, it’s a team game too.”

A Philadelphia native, Wayns understands the importance of Big 5 games, and he expects Penn to be a tough opponent.

“Every Big 5 game is going to be a battle,” he said. “Guys take it personally, and the outcome is that a lot of them play like it’s their conference championship game.”

Playing high school ball at Roman Catholic, a parochial school in Center City, Wayns has already had his fair share of experiences at the Palestra, the home of the Big 5.

“I have a lot of memories there, won a high school championship there,” he said. “It’s one of the best [arenas] in all of basketball.”

Since he arrived at ’Nova, Wayns has been a consistent contributor to the Big East powerhouse. He averaged just under seven points per game his freshman season, and just under 14 last year.

Both years, the Wildcats qualified for the NCAA tournament, but were knocked out in the early rounds.

“There were a lot of expectations,” he said. “But toward the end of the season, I don’t think it was about us getting worse. I just think it was other teams getting better.”

“I learned a lot from those two years,” he added.

With the departure of last year’s seniors Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena, Wayns has played an increased leadership role, especially playing the point.

“It’s almost like trying to be a coach on the floor. Whatever coach instills in the team, I just try to reinforce it on the court,” he said.

And while Wayns may soon join the likes of ’Nova alumni Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry and Dante Cunningham in the NBA, for now, he’s just focused on the next game.

“It’s just about trying to get better every day and trying to be the best team you can be.”

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