Malcolm Bernard is one of three players to be recognized for leading the team in five categories.
Courtesy of Vaughn Wilson/Rattler Productions
After sitting out last season and watching his team finish with a rather disappointing record, Malcolm Bernard entered the 2015-2016 basketball season with the personal goal of changing the atmosphere.
Last season FAMU finished with an overall record of 2-29, and a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference record of 2-14. This season they are 6-13, already tripling their total wins from last year.
With the improvement, the Rattlers are not at all complacent. Bernard stated that the steps toward improvement are still being made and it makes everything easier when the next man trust you.
His goal was simple: lead by example.
"I wanted to show my team how to win and how to be successful and make sure I am successful in the process."
Bernard, the 6-foot-6 senior guard from Middleburg, Fla., is one of the few players in college basketball to lead his team in 5 categories: points, assists, steals, rebounds and blocks. He was recently recognized for his recent accomplishments by ESPN being one of three players in the nation to reach the milestone this season.
Bernard is currently averaging 13.3 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game and has 48 steals for the season.
He said that he feels blessed, for the recent recognition and being able to accomplish it at FAMU.
"I feel good about it, I think it's big time,” he said. “It's a blessing because you're pretty much everywhere trying to fill the stats up." Bernard said.
He said that he tells his team that everything starts in practice and that every time they step on the floor to give it everything they got.
“You have to go hard every day so that it will lead to success in actual games,” Bernard said. “I kept it going play by play to show them I'm going to give it everything I got for you guys if you give everything got got for me.”
Senior guard, Jerran Foster, from Winston-Salem, NC., is a close teammate of Bernard and said that he deserves this recognition and that he's a real hard worker.
"Every game and practice he gives it his all, that's not an easy thing to do,” Foster said. “I feel like I go and get a board or go and get a bucket, he can do that whenever he wants to. He knows how to control the game and he deserves that recognition. He leads not only by talking but also by example."
Mario Karailiev, the 6-foot-9 senior from Montana, Bulgaria, said Bernard is a hard worker and he’s been through a lot being a transfer to FAMU.
"He deserve the recognition because basketball means a lot to him and he takes pride in what he do on the court. He definitely deserves it," Karailiev said.
Malcolm goals for the remainder of the season is to finish out the season strong. He stated that they have all the pieces to finish 12-4 in the conference and change the whole program.