Xzavier Malone, who reached the 1,000-point milestone during the postseason, has developed into a complete player during his two seasons at Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Malone, or “X,” evolves in two memorable seasons at Plymouth Whitemarsh
By Jarrad Saffren
A Plymouth Whitemarsh assistant coach texted the video to head coach Jim Donofrio.
Then Donofrio showed senior Jimmy Murray. Then Murray texted fellow senior Andre Mitchell.
Before long, everyone had seen the grainy footage of a kid dribbling between his legs and dunking with both hands.
The kid was Martin Luther King High School’s Xzavier Malone, known by friends as “X.” It was Aug. 31, 2014, and “X” was about to start his junior year of high school. He was also, according to Donofrio’s assistant, transferring to Plymouth Whitemarsh.
“I thought, ‘Okay that’s nice he can dunk. But can he play?’” Donofrio said laughing.
The question proved rhetorical.
***
It was Feb. 16, 2016, and the second-seeded Colonials were playing 18th-seed Academy Park in the second round of the District One Class AAAA boys basketball playoffs.
Four minutes in, Malone drove into the paint, pulled up, and sank a jumper, putting PW up 10-8. Malone waved at the crowd and smiled as he ran back on defense. The basket brought him to 1,000 points for PW in less than two seasons.
“Since it was the playoffs, we didn’t go through the ceremonial stuff,” Donofrio said. “You hope these things happen in the regular season when you can acknowledge them.”
The student section gave Malone a standing ovation during the next timeout. But Donofrio, Malone, and the Colonials stayed focused.
“We’ll get to all the individual stuff at the banquet at the end of the season,” said Donofrio.
The banquet will almost certainly go long. Donofrio will have a lot to say, about Malone and the team he is leading into history.
PW beat Academy Park, clinched a spot in the PIAA Class AAAA tournament, and won three more games to earn the program's first district title since 1998. The Colonials "upset" ninth-seeded Chester in the district final at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
“X” dropped 29 points in a performance he called, “The milestone of my career.”
“It is crazy to go from not seeing the floor that much to being a leader on a great team, on a major court, in front of thousands of people,” Malone said.
***
Malone barely played during his freshman season at MLK.
“There were players in front of me,” he said. “It was hard to crack the rotation.”
When he got in, Malone played scared.
“Every time I messed up I’d get taken out of the game. I never got a chance to show my full potential,” Malone said.
He was the sixth man on MLK’s Public League title team as a sophomore in 2013-14. But Malone expected to start going into the season.
“I said, ‘I should be starting. I’m in 10th grade,’” said Malone.
Malone first thought about transferring when he went to MLK’s summer workouts between his sophomore and junior seasons.
“There were a lot of new players from other schools,” Malone said. “My brother gave me a hint like, ‘Yo, that dude is trying to take your spot.’”
“He was going to start,” NLK coach Sean Colson said. “But a couple people had transferred to MLK and he didn’t want to go through that. He wanted his own team. I told him I thought he probably would still start.”
Later in the summer, Malone talked to his godparents Anthony and Keionna Williams, who lived in Lafayette Hill near PW. They said they would welcome Malone into their home if he decided to transfer.
Malone called it “the best decision I ever made.”
“They call me their fourth son. They are really good people,” Malone said. “I thank them for giving me the opportunity to get a better education. They are a big part of my life.”
Colson was initially hurt by Malone’s decision but did not try to stop him.
“We worked after school every day. Me and him developed his game for two years,” Colson said. “Then, right when he was ready to take off, he took it to PW. We are still cool though. It wasn’t a bad break. I accepted it and moved on.”
“It worked out for him and it worked out for us. We continued to be a good program. He got to spread his wings a little more,” Colson added.
MLK lost in the state championship game last season.
At PW's first preseason training session in 2014, Malone showed off his speed.
"Andre and Jimmy really cover ground," Donofrio said. "He was done sprints relaxed and Jimmy and Andre were still at half-court. I said, ‘That's a Division I guy right there.'"
"X" impressed Donofrio during games too.
In a summer league scrimmage against York High School, Donofrio called Malone’s number on the last possession with PW down by one. Malone drew a foul and made both free throws.
“That was like my coming out party,” Malone said.
It also showed that Donofrio would go to him in big moments, even on a senior-laden team with another eventual 1,000-point scorer (Mitchell).
But, once the 2014-15 season started, Malone’s transition was not as easy. Though he started for the first time in his career, Malone was unfamiliar with PW's culture and style of play.
He was late for practice, took defensive possessions off, and struggled to learn Donofrio's extensive playbook.
“We take tremendous pride in our full-court man-to-man defense. We try to exhaust people 90 feet. And you have to be in great condition to do that,” senior forward Mike Lotito said. “From where he came from, there was a lot of isolation and people watching the ball.”
“He was used to more of a run-and-gun style,” Mitchell added. “Coach D is known for Xs and Os, so we ran a bunch of plays. He knew plays from where he started, but he had to learn from multiple positions because we needed him to play multiple. He had to learn the one, two, three, four, and even the five.”
Fortunately, for Malone and the Colonials, PW's senior leaders, Mitchell, Murray, and Cameron Johnson, were tough on their new little brother.
“When I came to a couple practices a little late, they let me know like, ‘Yo we don’t do that here.’ They let me know the reputation we have,” Malone said. “I became part of the system and just thrived ever since.”
With Mitchell as the established floor leader, Malone played more off the ball. Whenever he got the ball, Malone tried to score.
"It was a little bit contentious. X came in with a style. He started the season doing five crossovers in a row while everyone is standing watching," Donofrio said. "The team looked at me like 'What are you going to do about this?’”
Malone chilled with the crossovers. But he was still a score first, pass much later player. The situation worked because older teammates, especially Murray, gave up shots. "Jimmy Murray made 70-something threes the year before. Now he has to share the ball more," Donofrio said. "It was really satisfying to watch that come together over the course of the season."
Malone scored 15 points per game in 2014-15. The Colonials went 26-4 but lost in the district final to Abington and in the state quarterfinals to, yes, MLK.
“When we were down a lot, we didn’t have extra gear to kick in and say, ‘We’re not losing this game,’” Mitchell said.
***
Something clicked for Malone in the offseason.
"I sold him on the idea that he should be a point guard in college," Donofrio said. "I always liken him to Johnny Wall when he was in college at Kentucky, with that north-south speed. He's the fastest player I've coached in terms of getting from point A to point B in a straight line."
Malone bought in, stopped trying to go one-on-five, and became a shoot first, pass also floor general.
He also became the best cliche an athlete can be: First to show, last to leave.
“It’s been quite a development since day one. He’s a complete story,” said Donofrio, who named Malone a captain before the season.
PW is the classic never rebuild, always reload program. So, despite losing four starters, the Colonials came back better than ever in 2015-16.
Led by Malone, who is averaging 19.5 points, five rebounds, and almost three assists, PW is 25-2 and the top seed from District One in the state tournament. The Colonials play Lebanon Saturday in the first round.
Replacing Mitchell, Murray, and Johnson has been a core of six seniors, including Malone, Lotito, and four others who came off the bench last season.
"It's different from Pennridge or CB West where guys were starting since they were freshmen or sophomores," Lotito said.
"It depended on the six, seven, and eight guys stepping up and they did," Donofrio said.
Oakley Spencer, Grady Minick, Kevin Ashenfelter, and Davon Burrell were the first four men off the bench last season. Now, Spencer, Burrell, and Ashenfelter start alongside Malone and Lotito, while Minick is the first or second man off the bench. Before the school year started, freshmen twin brothers Ahmin and Ahmad Williams transferred to PW, adding depth.
"They brought defensive energy," Donofrio said. "They take us to a Catholic League level of defense.”
PW won its first 15 games before losing to Upper Merion on Jan. 19. The talented Colonials knew how to win, but they often bickered.
“There was lots of arguing and tension in the first month of this season with guys claiming their turf. It was not lovey dovey with a lot of hugs. It was more of a business deal,” Donofrio said.
But the Colonials continued to take care of business, winning five straight after the loss, and the season became more lovey dovey with a lot of hugs.
“Now you see the bonds forming. Once you accomplish special things and pull off championships,” Donofrio said. “I know plenty of teams that grow up together and go 10-10.”
***
At 6-foot-4, Malone fits the Wall prototype of the big, modern, scoring point guard.
But he has not been heavily recruited, choosing to attend Rider next fall. Donofrio likens Malone to another PW 1,000-point scorer who was overlooked by big schools: Ronald Moore.
At 6-feet, Moore was only recruited by mid-major schools. He chose Siena only after Donofrio called then-Saints coach Fran McCaffery and told him to take a look.
As a junior in 2008-09, Moore led Siena to a first round upset over Ohio State in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. As a senior, he led the nation in assists.
“If he keeps evolving, a lot of college coaches will say the same thing they said about Ronald. ‘We missed that one,’” Donofrio said. “But I’m happy he’s going to Rider. It’s a perfect fit. They want him and he wants them.”
Lotito thinks Malone can go even further.
“I’ve said this all along and my teammates agree: I’ve seen a lot of four-year mid-major guys star professionally,” Lotito said. “Whether he goes overseas or tries to make the NBA, I would not be surprised if he plays professionally.”
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