Malek Alphonse Preview: What to Expect from Jean-de-Brebeuf’s 6’3 Guard This Season

Written by: J.M. Poulard

As the start of the 2025-26 season approaches, I will be looking at a few players I’m excited to watch based on film I’ve studied over the summer.

One of the top rookie CEGEP (CCAA) players to catch my eye was Malek Alphonse from Jean-de-Brebeuf (Montreal, PQ).

The 6’3” guard is entering his first season in the CEGEP league, and one should expect him to be a contributor from the jump.

He’s a solid ball handler who can navigate the court and get to pretty much any spot he wants.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the first-year Jean-de-Brebeuf player is his strength. That ability to play with force, coupled with his height, makes him a potentially devastating post-up threat from the guard position. He can easily bump off pesky defenders and generate quality looks.

And speaking of shooting, confidence is not at all a problem for the 2028-class guard. Fadeaways, one-legged shots, mid-range jumpers — he’s clearly a fan of “take it and make it.”

If defenders aren’t careful when guarding him, Alphonse is liable to blow by and finish in traffic.

Casual observers might get tricked into thinking that Malek is a score-first player, but do not be fooled. He marries his shot-creating ability with a pass-happy approach that gets teammates involved and promotes the extra pass within the roster.

The 6’3” guard looks like a coach’s dream in terms of ability and willingness to share the spotlight. He can essentially be incorporated into any system and asked to go to work whether that’s on or off the ball. Granted, because he’s almost always had the ball in his hands, transitioning to playing without it will be an adjustment, but his temperament suggests he’s more than ready for it.

Spend enough time observing Alphonse, and you’ll see a player with a mean competitive streak. He takes zero prisoners and will let opponents on the court know about it as well. He’s great at fueling himself both in games and practice, and one can only wonder what his ceiling truly is. That fiery attitude suggests that Alphonse won’t have an issue adding layers to his game to take his potential to the next level.

One thing I would like to see when the season starts is his game-plan discipline, specifically on defense. I’m sure that given enough time, he will adhere to all of the details his coaches require, but the film shows that he can occasionally lose focus in his individual matchup and lose sight of the keys of the game.

Nonetheless, it will be fascinating to watch Alphonse navigate both guard spots as the season unfolds and see his overall impact on winning. He has a plethora of tools that will be exciting to watch and enjoy when he gets an opportunity to showcase his talent.