In a quasi-shocking report from CBSSports.com college basketball insider Gary Parrish, five-star recruit Malik Newman is planning on committing to Mississippi State on Friday afternoon. The 2015 guard has kept his recruitment quiet and open.
On the surface, the news seems implausible. Mississippi State hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2009, produced NBA talent, or been to the Sweet Sixteen in two decades. The program does have it’s positives, though.
Per The Clarion-Ledger, Malik Newman and his father have both refuted the reports.
“Right now I’m down to my final four schools — Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kansas and Kentucky,” Newman told The Clarion-Ledger.
No matter the circumstance, picking the Bulldogs could make some sense for Newman.
Reason 1: Freedom
Newman is a very, very confident scoring guard. He has all the one-on-one moves, can shoot the ball well, and likes to create his own offense. He’s not selfish, but talented, and restricting those talents might not be the best thing for him; that’s really the criteria a recruit should be picking his school on. Newman will be comfortable being the main contributor for a Division I school. The Bulldogs will give him that advantage of having free reign on the offense, and let him use his confidence as he wants to.
Reason 2: Location
Newman is from the state of Mississippi. While that may not be a big factor for many recruits, it definitely could be for him. His support system is strong, especially with his father. His father has helped build Newman his own “brand” image already, and is not afraid to speak of Newman’s recruitment. If things were to get rough for Newman during the season, basketball and academically, he would have that system close by.
Newman told Mississippi News Now, “I would like to stay in state but if that’s not the best decision for me, then I wouldn’t do that.” While this doesn’t guarantee that he will stay in state, it does offers hope for the Bulldogs.
College isn’t for everyone, and can be a stressful thing to juggle. Throwing in a sport can make it even more challenging.
Reason 3: Coach Pedigree
Mississippi State hired Ben Howland to replace Rick Ray last month, and are reaping the benefits much sooner than they probably thought. Let’s not forget Howland’s tenure at UCLA, which included three consecutive Final Fours. He also recruited big-time talent — similar to what he is trying to accomplish at Mississippi State. Kevin Love, Arron Afflalo, Russell Westbrook, Jordan Farmar, and Jrue Holiday are a few players that made it to the NBA through Howland. That has to be a intriguing sign for Newman, as he would like to get to the NBA as fast as possible.
He went as far as telling Mississippi News Now, “I would like to skip college and go straight to the NBA.”
Howland would give Newman the drivers seat in the offense, and offer him a close location.
All of this said, we won’t know until Newman himself announces it. An announcement is expected this Friday at 12 p.m. ET. Expect a few schools to be scrambling, especially John Calipari, to change Newman’s mind in the upcoming days. Until then, hang on tight, because this decision could be the shocker of the recruiting season.
