Defensive specialist

TheDawgReport.com is breaking down Malik Dime, one of six commits for the Washington hoops program from the 2015 class.

Dime's a unique prospect in many respects. He will be 23 years old before he plays his first game with the Huskies. Though his time in Montlake will be more limited than that of a high school senior entering college for the first time, Dime will still have a learning curve. The Senegal native has moved around to different schools and is still coming into his own. The fact that he's a quality student will help his transition and it also helps that the coaching staff has a clear, discernible plan for him on the court.

Strengths: Let's start with Dime's improvement. From his time at New Hope Christian Academy in Columbus, Ohio in 2013 to this year at Indian Hills C.C., the improvement has been significant.

Dime appears more comfortable on the court, especially on the glass and on the offensive end, and that's manifested itself in more aggressive play around the rim. He's never been shy about going after the ball on defense but now he's starting to get more putbacks and he's finishing better.

He's developed a nice little drop step to get cleaner access to the rim and that helps immensely when he catches the ball on the low block. He's been more assertive in calling for the ball when he's got good position. We like how Dime is running the floor. He's not a passive bystander anymore. He's actively looking to score and fill the lane. Dime told us not long ago that he feels a lot more comfortable finishing with two hands this year.

Dime has always been quick off the floor which, coupled with his length, makes him a feared shot blocker. He reacts very quickly when some challenges him in the paint. He will come out of nowhere for some blocks. He's even deflected plenty of jump shots from mid-range to deep. Dime is improving when it comes to staying on the floor and holding his position.

When Dime blocks shots he's not looking for style points or to send it into the fifth row. He generally does a good job of tapping it to teammates and gaining his squad a possession.

Areas for Improvement: When there's contact we'd still like to see Dime finish strong at the rim. That's one of the first areas that he will be able to improve with more coaching. Of course, it would be nice if he developed a bit of a back to the basket game or a 10 to 15-foot shot that would make him more of a viable offensive threat. But he's not being brought on board for his offensive game.

Dime does think to block out but we would like to see him dig his legs in stronger to get better leverage to hold and keep that position he's established. The fight for above-the-rim rebounds takes place below the waist and we think there's room for improvement there. 'Til now his length has covered some of those things.

A lot of Dime's baskets are garbage hoops from camping out under the baseline and being able to finish when teammates find him or off misses. Those will be harder to come by at the high-major level.

Defensively one thing we would like to see is for Dime to consistently go up straight. Occasionally there's always the temptation to lean your arms in to someone. That's where fouls happen. Dime does that from time to time.

Finally, we'd like to see his screen setting to become a bit more authoritative and deliberate. He's got to really get his body into defenders and force the action.

Bottom Line: Because of his shot blocking and shot-altering ability alone Dime will likely see a few minutes right away. But he's going to be mostly a defensive specialist that needs others to create for him on offense at first. The hope is he gradually becomes a dominant defender and an adequate offensive player. That's the forecast.