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Malik Newman transfers to Kansas

Malik Newman

Mississippi State guard Malik Newman (14) dribbles past a Northern Colorado player during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

AP

Malik Newman has finally decided on a destination to continue his college career: Kansas.

The Jayhawks recruited Newman, who was a top ten prospect in the Class of 2015, out of high school, but he opted to stay home and sign with Mississippi State and Ben Howland. The season did not go as planned. Newman, a 6-foot-4 combo-guard, finished the season averaging an inefficient 11.3 points.

He would declare for the NBA Draft but, when it became clear that he was not going to be drafted in a spot that he wanted to get picked in, he announced that he would be leaving school.

Newman visited N.C. State, Oregon and Western Kentucky before ultimately settling on Kansas.

“I’m glad they wanted me again,” Newman told ESPN. “I love the basketball culture at Kansas, the way Bill Self holds guys accountable and love the atmosphere.”

Newman will have to sit out the 2016-17 season, one in which Kansas is a legitimate national title contender, and will have three years of eligibility remaining. Perhaps the best news for him: He’s going to be spending an entire season playing against a Frank Mason and Devonte’ Graham in practice. You will be hard-pressed to find a tougher back court than that duo anywhere in the country. So if Newman can’t figure out a way to improve over the course of the next 16 months, he may never be the player we thought he was going to be coming out of high school.