KU’s Newman dazed, confused during exams but should be ready for NU game

Kansas sophomore Malik Newman labored Monday while attempting to ace the first of his three first-semester final exams.

“It wasn’t a good one as far as just looking at the paper the whole time. The words started moving all over the paper,” Newman, KU’s 6-foot-3 combo guard from Jackson, Miss., said Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse. “I’m sure I did well.”

Newman — he has two more finals to take by the end of the week — suffered a concussion in the latter stages of Sunday’s 95-85 loss to Arizona State at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I feel just a few side effects. I’m doing much better,” said Newman, who returned to practice Wednesday and is expected to be available for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game at Nebraska.

“Just a lot of headaches,” he said, referring to his lingering symptoms.

Newman was kneed in the head with 1 minute, 40 seconds remaining and KU down nine points to the Sun Devils.

“I blacked out for a little while. When I finally got it together, I knew what was going on then,” said Newman, noting that he’d never suffered a concussion before Sunday.

Newman, who averages 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game for the No. 13-ranked Jayhawks, is still a work in progress after sitting out a year following his transfer from Mississippi State. He has 11 steals in nine games.

“I don’t think his activity level is very good at all,” KU coach Bill Self said. “I think he’s a good offensive player. He can score, but it would be nice if he can do some things to create some energy as opposed to basically just being a shooter, so to speak. I think he can play faster. I’m not talking shoot it faster. I’m talking movement-wise. He’s doing fine. I think he’d be the first to tell you he can do a lot better.”

Self continued his assessment of Newman’s game: “I would say athletically he’s not playing to his athletic ability at all. Everybody goes through different things. Tyrel Reed … I used to get on him all the time, ‘(You are the) best athlete in the gym. How many steals did you get?’ Malik is not the best athlete in the gym, but he’s a guy who through positioning and mindset can do a lot more to help our team be better, especially on the defensive end.”

Newman said the Jayhawks do need to play better defense if they hope to snap the squad’s two-game losing streak at Nebraska (7-4). KU also fell to Washington, 74-65, on Dec. 6 at the Sprint Center.

“I’m mean our defense just overall hasn’t been good the last couple games,” Newman said. “I think overall, the whole defensive scheme we’re trying to do as far as our man-to-man and how we play, I just don’t think we were locked into it.”

Self has said the Jayhawks, who have been using seven scholarship players plus walk-on Clay Young in games, may sprinkle in some zone as needed.

“Yes sir,” Newman said, asked if he prefers man-to-man. “It’s kind of more responsibility. You know that’s your man. You know what he’s capable of, what he can do. You just lock in and guard him and you’ve got to help all over.”

Newman said several KU players are trying to develop the fierce “dog” mentality that Self has been requesting of late.

“I think all of us have the ability to do that, even myself,” Newman said. In particular, he noted that he and his teammates need to play tougher defense, saying, “I don’t think we do it all the time.

“I think that’s the problem. We may have a stretch either at the beginning of the game or middle of the game or maybe the end of the game we may do that. We have yet to put together 40 minutes where we can do that. I think right now that is our problem.”

One reinforcement in particular should help KU’s overall team depth Saturday. Sophomore guard Sam Cunliffe will be eligible to play in his first game for KU following his transfer from Arizona State.

“I mean, it’s huge,” Newman said. “From the guard standpoint, the only person we have (off the bench) is Marcus (Garrett).

“Having Sam be able to come and be an extra body who we can count on to play hard and give us a few minutes ... like I said, that will be huge for us.

“He is a great teammate, a guy that is still learning. He works hard, gives great effort. I think he’ll be a great great addition for us.”

Self said the 6-6 Cunliffe will be added to the rotation immediately.

“If he can give us five to 10 minutes, that’d be a bonus,” Self said. “If he’s playing well, maybe more than that. To get Svi (Mykhailiuk), Lagerald (Vick) and Devonté’s (Graham) minutes’ down may bode well for us, especially in late-game situations.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 5:28 PM with the headline "KU’s Newman dazed, confused during exams but should be ready for NU game."