Florida State University Athletics
Alier Maluk: Back In Garnet, Ready For Impact
9/5/2025 4:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE – For Florida State sophomore forward Alier Maluk, the summer of 2025 has been about improving in all aspects of the game he loves to play.
Maluk has worked on improving his ball handling, his shooting, his passing, his defense, and his mindset when it comes the game he first began playing when he was nine years old.
Maluk's improvement comes after making the biggest decision of his basketball career soon after his freshman season had ended – a decision he remembers as being very simple.
With a social media post that proclaimed that he was 'Here To Stay,' Maluk pledged his allegiance to Luke Loucks and his coaching staff and immediately became one of the faces of Seminole basketball.
"Florida State feels like home to me," said Maluk. "Coach Loucks and his staff are more than coaches—they're like family. They've already taught me more about life, leadership, and character than just basketball. What makes this program special isn't just the practices—it's the culture, the connection, and the way they care about us as people."
As a freshman, Maluk played in 31 of Florida State's 32 games while averaging nearly 11 minutes played per game. His role expanded once conference play began as he worked to increase in many of his statistical categories. He played in all 20 of the Seminoles' ACC games during the regular season with starting assignments coming at Duke and at Virginia late in the season. He earned 14 minutes of playing time in his first career start against the Blue Devils and totaled 21 minutes of playing time and scored his season-high of eight points against the Cavaliers.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Loucks was named as the eighth head coach in the history of the storied Seminole program and immediately began building his first Florida State roster.
When the point guard who led the Seminoles to the 2012 ACC Championship took the job on March 9, 2025, Loucks had done his research. He knew he wanted Maluk on the roster for the upcoming season and for the remainder of his collegiate career.
"Alier's maturity really began to shine during his freshman season," said Loucks. "It's clear that he has all the tools necessary to become something special. He's a high-level athlete with a strong feel for the game, and he's fully committed to developing into a complete player."
Maluk was originally a member of the Class of 2025 who reclassified his academic standing to earn his eligibility at Florida State beginning with the 2024-25 season. Though he says reclassification wasn't always in the plans, he knows that his continued and rapid development in his final two seasons of high school made his decision to skip his senior season the correct choice for him and his family.
"The fact that Alier reclassified and joined Florida State a year early only adds to how high his ceiling is," said Loucks. "We're excited to start working with Alier because his drive to improve and his potential for growth are off the charts."
That work began this past spring, continued through the summer, and will gain even more steam this fall as the Seminoles' season-opener on November 4 at the Donald L. Tucker Center quickly approaches.
"The one aspect of my game that I worked on the most was how to be patient," said Maluk. "I learned how to be patient and that I need to cherish the opportunities that I have as a student-athlete at Florida State. Our coaching staff is also teaching me how to play in an NBA system."
One of the aspects of his game that he is working hard to improve upon is shooting, It's a point of emphasis for Maluk even though he shot better than 55 percent from the field during his freshman season. He was even more on target from the field in ACC games as he shot a near-team high .639 percent from the field against conference opponents.
"With the help of the coaching staff, I have worked mainly on shooting," said Maluk. "The coaches have helped me fix my shooting form and my ball handling against pressure. Those are the two things I've worked on heading into the season that are going to help me tremendously."
He's also worked with strength and conditioning coach Ben O'Donnell on strengthening his core muscles and improving his conditioning in order to increase his effectiveness on the court.
"I'm looking forward to being able to display my skill set on the court throughout the season," said Maluk. "I'm trying to go out every day and learn as much as I can about the game from a coaching staff who individually and collectively have so much to give and are such great teachers."
As Maluk continues to make his mark and improve on the basketball court with every practice, he has already made his academics as a student at Florida State one of his priorities.
Maluk earned a 3.0 grade point average in his first semester with his first collegiate grade of A in his public administration and society class. He was named to the All-ACC Academic men's basketball team as a freshman. Maluk has chosen communications as his major.
"Education means a lot to me and my family," said Maluk. "With five brothers and two sisters in our family, my parents have always stressed the importance of education and working hard in the classroom. The honor of being named to the 2025 All-ACC Academic Men's Basketball Team was very special, and I'm grateful for the recognition."
With so much to look forward to as a Seminole, Maluk has a bright future in front of him on the basketball court and in the classroom.
Maluk has worked on improving his ball handling, his shooting, his passing, his defense, and his mindset when it comes the game he first began playing when he was nine years old.
Maluk's improvement comes after making the biggest decision of his basketball career soon after his freshman season had ended – a decision he remembers as being very simple.
With a social media post that proclaimed that he was 'Here To Stay,' Maluk pledged his allegiance to Luke Loucks and his coaching staff and immediately became one of the faces of Seminole basketball.
"Florida State feels like home to me," said Maluk. "Coach Loucks and his staff are more than coaches—they're like family. They've already taught me more about life, leadership, and character than just basketball. What makes this program special isn't just the practices—it's the culture, the connection, and the way they care about us as people."
As a freshman, Maluk played in 31 of Florida State's 32 games while averaging nearly 11 minutes played per game. His role expanded once conference play began as he worked to increase in many of his statistical categories. He played in all 20 of the Seminoles' ACC games during the regular season with starting assignments coming at Duke and at Virginia late in the season. He earned 14 minutes of playing time in his first career start against the Blue Devils and totaled 21 minutes of playing time and scored his season-high of eight points against the Cavaliers.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Loucks was named as the eighth head coach in the history of the storied Seminole program and immediately began building his first Florida State roster.
When the point guard who led the Seminoles to the 2012 ACC Championship took the job on March 9, 2025, Loucks had done his research. He knew he wanted Maluk on the roster for the upcoming season and for the remainder of his collegiate career.
"Alier's maturity really began to shine during his freshman season," said Loucks. "It's clear that he has all the tools necessary to become something special. He's a high-level athlete with a strong feel for the game, and he's fully committed to developing into a complete player."
Maluk was originally a member of the Class of 2025 who reclassified his academic standing to earn his eligibility at Florida State beginning with the 2024-25 season. Though he says reclassification wasn't always in the plans, he knows that his continued and rapid development in his final two seasons of high school made his decision to skip his senior season the correct choice for him and his family.
"The fact that Alier reclassified and joined Florida State a year early only adds to how high his ceiling is," said Loucks. "We're excited to start working with Alier because his drive to improve and his potential for growth are off the charts."
That work began this past spring, continued through the summer, and will gain even more steam this fall as the Seminoles' season-opener on November 4 at the Donald L. Tucker Center quickly approaches.
"The one aspect of my game that I worked on the most was how to be patient," said Maluk. "I learned how to be patient and that I need to cherish the opportunities that I have as a student-athlete at Florida State. Our coaching staff is also teaching me how to play in an NBA system."
One of the aspects of his game that he is working hard to improve upon is shooting, It's a point of emphasis for Maluk even though he shot better than 55 percent from the field during his freshman season. He was even more on target from the field in ACC games as he shot a near-team high .639 percent from the field against conference opponents.
"With the help of the coaching staff, I have worked mainly on shooting," said Maluk. "The coaches have helped me fix my shooting form and my ball handling against pressure. Those are the two things I've worked on heading into the season that are going to help me tremendously."
He's also worked with strength and conditioning coach Ben O'Donnell on strengthening his core muscles and improving his conditioning in order to increase his effectiveness on the court.
"I'm looking forward to being able to display my skill set on the court throughout the season," said Maluk. "I'm trying to go out every day and learn as much as I can about the game from a coaching staff who individually and collectively have so much to give and are such great teachers."
As Maluk continues to make his mark and improve on the basketball court with every practice, he has already made his academics as a student at Florida State one of his priorities.
Maluk earned a 3.0 grade point average in his first semester with his first collegiate grade of A in his public administration and society class. He was named to the All-ACC Academic men's basketball team as a freshman. Maluk has chosen communications as his major.
"Education means a lot to me and my family," said Maluk. "With five brothers and two sisters in our family, my parents have always stressed the importance of education and working hard in the classroom. The honor of being named to the 2025 All-ACC Academic Men's Basketball Team was very special, and I'm grateful for the recognition."
With so much to look forward to as a Seminole, Maluk has a bright future in front of him on the basketball court and in the classroom.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's BasketballFSU Football | Sod Talk 2025 - Episode 1: Rashad Greene
Thursday, September 04
EYES UP: An FSU Football Series | Teaser
Thursday, September 04
DB Ashlynd Barker: "We are going to try and move on to 2-0."
Wednesday, September 03
OL Luke Petitbon: "There’s no thought about the last game, it's all about the next one."
Wednesday, September 03