Excited for the tournament, but always looking ahead...
I was so impressed with Newman, not just his offense, but his defense and "right place, right timeness"- while I thought he would probably come back, I wonder...
If he plays that way through the Tourney- does he slip into the first round, or do NBA teams want to see him be conisistent for a year?
If he and Dok are both back- holy smokes.
Not saying we will have that many games. Although I hope we do...
But if Newman plays that way for 6 more games. I believe he goes first round
Good question, I think he should come back, but then again...I'm a fan of and value consistency.
And, I'm not sure that guards get the same upside benefit as bigger players.
Oh wait...Trae
Newman has likely played himself into the draft and a good run in the next few games might place him in the first round.
@JayHawkFanToo agreed.
Is now mind blowing, the returning talent which might be available for 2018-19 Jayhawks. Considering hungry eligible transfers, formidable recruits and possible returning stars, can our coaching staff keep a lid on discontent over playing time? If Newman does return, this next KU squad could be LOADED! Gotta presume that Doke also returns. Vick, too, will probably do everything possible to prepare body and mind for senior season focus and intensity. Just imagine what another 9 months of practice and training time will do for Silvio! And Mitch will keep growing and improving. As will Garrett. Jeesh!
Cunliffe, Vick, Newman, Dok. (Order of my preference done subconsciously) One is leaving early as I doubt a transfer is going to transfer before playing.
I'd say it's 50/50. He will likely test the waters.
@JayhawksandChill Great question.
I'll give my uneducated opinion. I think regardless of what happens thru March that Malik will test the waters. He will go to the combine. Svi did last year, why wouldn't Malik? That being said, I think he comes back because I doubt he will slip into the lottery. There are too many other OAD types ahead of him. Draftnet doesn't even have him in the second round, which is a gross underestimation imo. But still, how is he going to suddenly crack into the lottery? What are the odds of that happening?
No. He'll go test at the combine and come back to KU next season and go in the top 15 next year for sure.
The thing is the NBA already knows who Newman is, he's already went through the draft process and left a negative taste in scouts and gm's.
Does this stretch help him? Sure it does. Does it move his stock needle? No. He's still projected to be undrafted if he left.
A great NCAA tourney could be the difference in him sliding into the 2nd round. There's no chance he's going to get a 1st round grade, that's just the reality of things.
Personally I'm hoping he comes back to lead a young group of guards and have the Frank and Devonte treatment from role and responsibility.
Another year being a leader and putting up numbers is his best chance to stay in the USA
Watching the development of Newman from a āpotential troubledā transfer to all-Conference and tournament MOP has been thing of beauty and a huge recruiting advantage. Other coaches should study what Coach Self has done and learn how to do it, itās that good.
Newman will be back to win Big 12 POY. Dok is back to bond with Silvio. Vick and Cundiff are to unpredictable to predict.
IF Newman comes back KU could have a NPOY race between Newman and Lawson? That would be pretty cool!
If Graham gets NPOY this year Coach Self could have a 3peat!!!
Someone is going to have to leave to make for Agbaji. I still don't think Romeo Langford is coming to KU and I'm perfectly fine with that and would honestly prefer he goes elsewhere for reasons other than his talent level.
Cunliffe appears to be the one who will be squeezed out to make room for Agbaji.
KU's front court depth is going to be insane next year. Mitch Lightfoot might legitimately end up the 5th big man next year.
I can also see a scenario where Quentin Grimes comes off the bench for KU with the way Garrett is coming along and if Newman stays. KU could easily end up having a top 10 recruit come off the bench next season.
I think Kansas and Kentucky will be the two runaway favorites for the 2019 NCAA Title.
Gunman said:
Newman will be back to win Big 12 POY. Dok is back to bond with Silvio. Vick and Cundiff are to unpredictable to predict.
Why do you think Newman will be back?
@Texas-Hawk-10 Duke would like a word with you.
You could very well be right about Grimes and I can see situations where he is eased in (and or gets a bit sideways with the coaches early) but I'm pretty sick of the old Self doesn't play FR narrative so in that sense I hope Grimes is good enough to start.
If we have a good run heās gone, look at the 08 title team and some of the numbers those guys had that got draft werenāt crazy numbers. They just good when it counted and the NBA seems to like that.
I think Newman is gone. I think he has always planned on staying only one year and Self recruited others with that assumption. Doesn't mean it can't change....but I think he is gone...if not to the NBA then overseas. JMO.
I believe Newman has done enough to be drafted. The next few games will determine how high he goes.
Well for starters I donāt think thereās a scenario where Sam Cunliffe returns. Heās not going to receive ANY playing time next year. As for Vick itās kind of like Greene heās too far into his career to transfer. Heās going to be a senior next year and will get playing time. As for Malik I think his goal is to be a pro obviously and thatās why he came to ku, to salvage his career, showcase his talents and turn pro. Someone will give Malik a chance. I do think there is a scenario where he goes off in the tourney and gets drafted 1st round. Time will tell.
@BShark - -I still will say Vick and Malik are both gone. - -Already stated WHY I think that but I just don't see Malik coming back whether he is drafted or not. - he either is drafted or undrafted he goes over sea's and starts to make money. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
Grimes will not be coming off the bench. He's much more talented than I think most people realize. Grimes will start, probably from day one.
@Hawk8086 agreed. Newman always planned to leave.
Just listen to his post game after dropping 30. The first thing he said was "these are the money games". He knows that from here on out the scouts are watching. It is the light at the end of the tunnel that he has been waiting for and now that it is here I expect 110% effort and focus from Malik, as it appears that he has successfully found and flipped that switch.
If he maintains this level I would expect him to test and receive enough interest to go. I think the college experience is of less importance to Malik than getting paid. This isnt unreasonable, and I think he's been transparent about his intentions which made recruiting easier for Self as I'm assuming everyone in the backcourt next year knows that barring disaster Malik is gone.
@approxinfinity I can't disagree with any of this but of the guards that could leave the program, he's the one I like to see back the most.
I think Vick will be back. Where else would he go, after starting for KU most of the year? He will be locked in, back to his pre-conference form.
tundrahok said:
I think Vick will be back. Where else would he go, after starting for KU most of the year? He will be locked in, back to his pre-conference form.
Out of town on the I-420 like Greene and Tharpe.
I follow the NBA draft and the NBA. Scouts have said all along that Newman is streaky and a 3 game stretch is still streaky. He is in his 3rd year of NCAA Div1 basketball. He hasn't put together a strong enough resume or played lights out all season long. If KU goes DEEP in the tournament and he continues his current production then sure he could get drafted. If not he is 1 year away from graduating and should try to improve his stock for another year. Not to mention he has watched it work for Mason and Graham. I think he will follow in the footsteps of Mason and Graham UNLESS he some how gets projected to be drafted in the first round. I really hope he destroys the nets and KU wins it all this year and he gets drafted!
@tundrahok Totally agreed, not a head case as long as we ignore the incidents involving his exgirlfriend in both of his first 2 years. Not the same as theirs, though.
Ya I donāt really think Vick is a head case at this point, he is a really quiet guy and does seem to show a whole lotta emotion. I follow him on snap chat and I think he is home sick sometimes and misses his daughter. Iād never fault the young man for that, I think he could be a lottery pick with a good year next or even be a first rounder this year if he is a key part of a deep run.
I did not mean to imply he has had the same kind of off court transgressions, he's a pretty good kid. He does love the kush though*, more than most and it might just be that Self thinks it's best for everyone if he is elsewhere next year. There is a real chance he would be bumped to the bench next year after starting which can be tough to swallow. His mom is a riot, she's great.
*I have no problem with this at all to be clear. Next year's team will be plenty :leaves: either way.
Malik Newman is not an NBA player. That doesn't mean he stays though. Nothing some of these kids do surprises me anymore.
They all look like NBA players, when the shots are falling.
The question is: what do they look when they are not falling.
The first half of the season, it was not clear Malik was a D1 player, when the shots were not falling.
The second half he got it and has become a very good college basketball player, regardless of how big, or small the rim gets, in a given game.
He needs to torch a future NBA player within the team framework in the Carney to build trust in NBA GMs.
If KU can get out of the first round without blowing cold, he should get that chance.
If he gets the chance, he seems ready to leave second, or third degree burns.
Thus, I expect Malik to being playing for money next season.
If he were to come back next season, he would become dominating.
He is a helluva basketball player, once he gets it.
BigBad said:
Malik Newman is not an NBA player. That doesn't mean he stays though. Nothing some of these kids do surprises me anymore.
That's pretty accurate. He's a small SG because he's been unable to show much of a game being a PG. If he played like he did in the Big-12 tourney through the NCAA tourney good chance we see his name on the stock up board. What that does for him probably doesn't mean much. If he really wants to be an NBA player I think he needs another season trying to prove he can be a leader and run a team
Graham has moved up to #28 on the Top 100 board. Seems like he's impressing scouts with his play..
@BeddieKU23 He has shown he is a PG. Could have a decent career as a back-up.
BShark said:
@BeddieKU23 He has shown he is a PG. Could have a decent career as a back-up.
How exactly has he done that? Devonte has to stay on the floor 40 minutes a game because Self has basically ZERO confidence in Malik running the team as a point guard.
Remember Mario Chalmers? He was a turnover machine as a PG and if I recall correctly even
Jeff Hawkins played PG ahead of him until Ross Rob took over. Guess what position Mario ended up playing in the NBA. Newman has been bringing the ball up and so has Vick and Garret, so it is not like he cannot play PG, it is more that KU has the Conference and potential National POY playing PG, a luxury only a couple of teams have.
Second half of the season Newman has played himself into the draft and how well he does and by extension KU will dictate how high he goes on the draft
Not even a MOP of the Big-12 tourney moved him into the Top 100. It's a longshot
BeddieKU23 said:
Not even a MOP of the Big-12 tourney moved him into the Top 100. It's a longshot
The NBA looks at Newman and says mehhhhhhhhhhhhh. It all boils down to if he wants to start getting paid next year.
BShark said:
@BeddieKU23 He has shown he is a PG. Could have a decent career as a back-up.
I still think he's got a tough road ahead of him but if he can land a guaranteed late first round contract that bodes well! Couldn't happen to a better player and person
OAD rule killed Malik. He would have been severely overdrafted and overpaid w/o it.
If you believe Ryan Noel then Cunliffe, Newman, Vick and Doke are all leaving.
BShark said:
If you believe Ryan Noel then Cunliffe, Newman, Vick and Doke are all leaving.
Nobody does but that still could happen
@BeddieKU23 It was his typical doom and gloom. Moore totally sucks but will start over Grimes. KU will look for transfers etc..
I think the team is fine if Doke goes, but I'm not sure where the hell Doke ends up. It won't be the NBA.
BShark said:
I think the team is fine if Doke goes, but I'm not sure where the hell Doke ends up. It won't be the NBA.
With the way Silvio played we absolutely have a bright future if he leaves
@BeddieKU23 Silvio, Lawson and Lawson is still extremely good. Throw in Mitch and McCormack for emergencies.
@BeddieKU23 I like the insinuation that Malik might be paid to come back. That was probably the best part.
Silvio might not start, I could see it anyway. The Lawsons do that that Morrii kind of connection where they play well together. Silvio will get lots of minutes though, doubly true if Doke leaves.
I think you have to play Grimes over Moore if you do that though. You end up with a pretty great defensive line-up in that case. Assuming Self can get Grimes to buy in.
BShark said:
@BeddieKU23 I like the insinuation that Malik might be paid to come back. That was probably the best part.
Silvio might not start, I could see it anyway. The Lawsons do that that Morrii kind of connection where they play well together. Silvio will get lots of minutes though, doubly true if Doke leaves.
I think you have to play Grimes over Moore if you do that though. You end up with a pretty great defensive line-up in that case. Assuming Self can get Grimes to buy in.
All good stuff. Self is getting a glimpse of what a 50% ready Silvio can do on the boards, running the floor and being in the right spots around the rim. He can shoot FT's and so far his 70% FG% is going to translate with more minutes. This is also a glimpse of the competitiveness the kid has, how he's embraced the challenge of being counted on. Once he learns how to defend the sky's the limit. Not many kids can go from not playing, not even knowing everything that's asked of you and help a team, a #1 seed win a tournament. Takes a special talent to do so.
There are lots of good college players making real good money coming off the bench in the NBA. Malik will probably have to scrap his way through, like Wayne did, but I could see him getting minutes. I don't think he would have to do the play in the other country route, although that would be an option, too. Tarik has been making 6 million a year playing 6-12 minutes a game. That Baker kid that played for Wichita St gets minutes here and there, and I think he's making 500k. Wayne went undrafted, and he's making 1.3 million this year. I don't blame Malik a bit if he wants to go make money like that. Hopefully, he'll have a strong tournament run, and make bank.
Newman is a 6'3 streaky shooting guard with zero play making abilities and not much of a finisher in traffic. He's also slight of build and not very fast. He has improved a good deal this year and has become a much better COLLEGE basketball player from the UK game. And that is all I really care about! More Big 12 tourney Malik please!
I don't expect Malik back unless we miss on Romeo. Then arrangements can be made to keep Malik around. Other than Doke, he's the guy I want to return the most. I think he can play some point to audition for the pros. I don't think he'll ever be a NBA player. He's just not physically gifted enough. But could carve out a nice career overseas if he chooses.
@FarmerJayhawk That's why I think he leaves......he is either good enough for the NBA now or not........if not.....he gets paid overseas. I think that is the mindset. But I'm only guessing on that part....