Once a highly-touted five-star recruit, it took Malik Newman a few years to find his groove at the collegiate level. He found it, however, during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, putting together an offensive firestorm that lifted Kansas to the Final Four.
Labeled an inefficient volume scorer early in his career, Newman struggled to gain traction as a freshman at Mississippi State. He transferred the next season, joining Kansas and sitting out the entire 2016-17 campaign.
This year, he thrived as one of several talented guards on the Jayhawks’ roster. Spending time next to Devonte’ Graham and Lagerald Vick, Newman’s ability to hit shots at all three levels was an invaluable part of Bill Self’s offense — especially considering their lack of stability in the frontcourt.