Displeased with Kansas sophomore guard Malik Newman’s defense through the first four games of the season, Bill Self challenged the Mississippi State transfer in an unconventional way Friday night.
He assigned the 6-foot-3 Newman to Oakland’s best offensive player, 6-4 senior Kendrick Nunn.
“I thought Malik played one of his better games without question,” Self, KU’s 15th-year coach, said after the Jayhawks’ 102-59 victory over the Golden Grizzlies. “He hasn’t been very good on the defensive end to be blunt. I put him on Nunn to start with on purpose. For the most part, he did a better job.