Mississauga vice president of basketball operations John Wiggins said of his performance: "What's great about it is it's unbridled, he's just going out there and playing. Imagine what happens when A) he learns (head coach Kyle Julius') systems and the philosophies of what we're trying to do and B) just getting more time with the kid … By the time the playoffs come, he'll be ready." In 18 games, Newby averaged 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game and was named to the NBL All-Rookie Team. Over the summer of 2015, Newby traveled to Italy and participated in the ALLINSPORT Summer League. He won the league's slam dunk contest in late June and gained attention from his alma mater Gannon and the NBL Canada. On October 31, Newby was acquired by the Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League following a successful tryout with the team. However, he was waived on November 11 before the start of the season. For the 2015–16 season, Newby signed back with the Saint John Mill Rats, marking his second season in the NBL Canada. Newby is the youngest of three siblings, with sister Sonya McKenzie and brother DeWayne Newby. Jabs' parents are Wilfried and Annie Riley. Jabs majored in sports management while at Gannon University. Newby's full first name is Jabulani, which means "to bring happiness." His sister gave him the moniker "Jabs" when he was four years old because outsiders had trouble pronouncing his full name. Newby said, "I like my nickname a lot because it's short and sweet. I'm one of the few basketball players with a name like that. My name is memorable and nobody's going to forget about it."