Kansas Basketball: Malik Newman will be a star for the Jayhawks

Newman in Burgundy and White

Leaving his high school in Jackson, Mississippi as a star on the court, Newman kept his talents within the borders his homestate – Mississippi State University.

Choosing the Bulldogs over the Jayhawks, and the Wildcats of Kentucky, Newman started 22 out of 29 games he played in. While at Mississippi State, Newman showed his flashes of pure athleticism, along with his shooting range, and his slick moves to the bucket.

In the 29 games, Newman averaged 11.3 points per game, shot nearly 40% from three, and 70% from the free throw line.

At Mississippi State, everyone expected Newman to be “the guy” on the court, but he did not quite reach his full expectations. No, I am not saying Newman was a bust, because Newman was on my watch list since he was a freshman in high school.

Newman oozes the talent that Bill Self, and his staff crave to see perform as a Jayhawk.

The kid has all of the attributes to succeed in all he does. The problem with Newman and Mississippi State had to have been something behind the scenes, because what happened with Newman there, only were tiny glimpses on what he is capable of doing.

Eleven points per game may seem like a low number, but let’s not count out his 61 three point field goals made, and his 329 total points, which ranks 10th in the all-time scoring category as a freshman at Mississippi State. Now does that seem so bad? I didn’t think so.

Newman oozes the talent that Bill Self, and his staff crave to see perform as a Jayhawk. It is too bad that Newman didn’t choose the Jayhawks.

Just kidding. He did… Finally.