While rumors circulate that 2015 guard Malik Newman is thinking of reclassifying to 2014, he says pump the brakes.
“Reclassifying is something I haven’t been thinking about,” Newman told the Clarion-Ledger in this video series.
“If I give an opinion I think it’s highly, highly unlikely,” Larry Stamps, the director of the Jackson (MS) Tigers AAU program, told SNY.tv Tuesday. “I haven’t heard any credible sources saying that.”
The 6-foot-3 combo guard from Jackson (MS) Callaway is being recruited at the highest levels and a video series on The Clarion-Ledger Website shows him getting text messages from Kentucky’s John Calipari, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina’s Roy Williams.
Kentucky, Florida and N.C. State are among those who have been through the school.
“To be honest, I can’t tell you who I was recruiting,” Newman told the Clarion-Ledger. “I just know it’s a variety of schools, so this year I have to sit down, watch how people play, look at the guys that will be coming back, the guys that’s there, different things like that…I’m still open.”
“I don’t think there’s any [college] list right now,” Stamps said.
“The top programs in the country, he’s been contated by all of them. From what I’ve seen he’s still open.”
By all accounts, Newman has a tremendous work ethic and wants to be come an elite player.
“The young man, the thing that really impressed me about him is his work ethic,” Stamps said. “He’s been working out early morning on his own forever, and he has positioned himself to go to the highest level. He just has ‘it,’ but that ‘it’ has come with a lot of hard work.
“Many people who are smarter than me think he’s a pro.”
