Malik Newman is heading to Lawrence. The former five-star combo guard in the Class of 2015 told ESPN that he will transfer to Kansas.
Newman announced his intention to transfer from Mississippi State earlier this summer. After originally declaring for the NBA Draft, Newman decided to come back to school. However, he didn’t want to return to Starkville, instead choosing to spend the rest of his college career elsewhere.
On Friday, Newman announced that he chose Kansas—which originally recruited him out of high school – over NC State, Oregon, and Western Kentucky.
The No. 8 recruit in the class of 2015, according to 247 Sports, Newman averaged 11.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 27.7 minutes per game as a freshman.
To comply with the NCAA’s transfer rules, Newman will be required to sit out for the 2016-17 season, but he has three years of eligibility remaining.
From ESPN:
Newman said the opportunity to sit out and improve his game against one of the nation’s top backcourts — Devonte’ Graham and Frank Mason III — played into his decision. Mason will be a senior in 2016-17, while Graham is a junior.
“It’s the right place for me to be,” Newman said. “I can compete against those guys every day, and that will make me better. It also allows me to get comfortable with the system.”
Newman said his confidence was shaken while struggling with his role last season.
