Kansas lands coveted transfer Malik Newman
If Kansas endures massive roster turnover as anticipated next spring, the Jayhawks at least now have some insurance.
They secured a commitment on Friday from one of the most intriguing transfers available this offseason.
Ex-Mississippi State guard Malik Newman, a former top 10 prospect in the 2015 class, will continue his career at Kansas. The 6-foot-3 sophomore will sit out the 2016-17 season per transfer rules but has three years of eligibility remaining thereafter.
Hailed as one of the elite prospects in his class after earning MVP honors at the FIBA U-17 World Championships two years ago, Newman did not live up to expectations in his lone season at Mississippi State. Newman averaged 11.3 points per game, but he shot barely 40 percent from inside the arc, turned the ball over nearly two times per game and earned just 67 trips to the foul line.
At Mississippi State, Newman played mostly off ball and struggled to adjust to Ben Howland’s oft-rigid system. He should have the opportunity to create more via ball screens for a Kansas team whose backcourt could look drastically different by the time Newman is eligible to play.
What’s certain is that Kansas will lose senior point guard Frank Mason to graduation after next season. Heralded incoming freshman wing Josh Jackson will almost certainly enter the NBA draft next spring and combo guard Devonte Graham and wing Svi Mykhailiuk could also emerge as early-entry candidates.
Should Kansas lose three or four of those players, coach Bill Self might have to rely on Newman as a potential perimeter centerpiece for his 2017-18 team. That means Newman has one year to determine whether he is more effective playing on or off ball and improve his efficiency creating for himself or his teammates off the dribble.
When Newman withdrew from the NBA draft this past spring because his stock wasn’t as high as he hoped, he had the option of staying at Mississippi State or transferring to another school whose system fit him better.
The downside to Newman’s decision is sitting out all of next season. The upside is a fresh start at a nationally renowned program that may really need him.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
