Former WPIAL Star Stays in the ACC, Returns to Florida State

Former WPIAL standout Alier Maluk is sticking with Florida State after head coach Leonard Hamilton announced his retirement this year.

Maluk announced his return to FSU in a post on Twitter.

Year #2🏃🔄🇸🇸 pic.twitter.com/Jd6q4gv1nu

— Alier Maluk (@Maluk_Alier12) April 7, 2025

Maluk joins first-year FSU head coach Luke Loucks in Tallahassee.

Maluk played in 31 games this season for the Seminoles, starting twice. He played 11 minutes per game on average, and shot 55% from the field as a rookie. Maluk scored 2.7 points per game and grabbed two rebounds per game, too. He had two games with at least seven points — one against Virginia, and one against North Carolina.

Playing against Pitt, Maluk played 11 minutes, scored three points, and grabbed one rebound.

Originally a member of the class of 2025, Maluk re-classified into the class of 2024 to attend Florida State early. Maluk averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore at Imani Christian, leading the team to a WPIAL championship and a PIAA Class 1A title. After spending time as a five-star recruit early on in his high-school career, Maluk’s ranking went down to three-star status, per 247 Sports. 247 had him ranked as the No. 31 center and a three star recruit in his class.

He ended up choosing Florida State over Pitt, Oregon, LSU, and Ohio State. He committed in October 2023 in front of family, friends, and teammates in Finleyville, Pennsylvania.

Maluk was listed at 7-feet, 218 pounds this year on Florida State’s roster. He played for Imani Christian for two years of high school before transferring to Long Island Lutheran for his final season of prep ball.