Will Asa Newell pick Gonzaga? 5-star recruit will announce college decision Wednesday
Gonzaga men's basketball could see a major commitment from one of its top targets in the 2024 recruiting class.
Asa Newell, a five-star power forward out of Montverde Academy (Florida), has set his commitment date for Wednesday, Oct. 25, according to On3.com's Joe Tipton.
Newell will choose between Gonzaga, Alabama, Georgia and Texas. He's taken official visits with all four finalists, the most recent being his second trip to Georgia on Oct. 7. The 6-foot-9 senior visited Spokane back in July.
The Athens, Georgia, native is a consensus five-star recruit in the 2024 class across all major recruiting databases. Newell grades as a top-10 recruit, according to Rivals.com and On3.com, and is 11th on ESPN's Top 100, which also has him as the top-ranked recruit in the state of Florida. He's the No. 8 overall recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports.
Newell, whose brother Jaden is a redshirt freshman on the Georgia men's basketball team, is projected to sign with the Bulldogs according to 247Sports, On3.com and Rivals.com. Georgia has been 247Sports' frontrunner in the recruiting race since late July when Gonzaga's coaching staff offered Newell a scholarship.
Even so, the Zags aren't out of the mix. Gonzaga has established a track record recruiting talent from Montverde Academy. Filip Petrusev, Andrew Nembhard and his younger brother Ryan all attended the high school basketball powerhouse in Florida. And with assistant coach R-Jay Barsh, who was previously on Florida State's coaching staff, it appears those ties remain strong with Newell's recruitment.
Newell would be the third-highest-ranked recruit to commit to Gonzaga in program history behind Chet Holmgren (2021) and Jalen Suggs (2020). A lengthy left-hander with soft touch and range behind the 3-point line, Newell would likely fill the void left by Anton Watson once the fifth-year senior departs at the end of the 2023-24 season.
