Asa Newell Shines in Georgia’s Big Win over No. 6 Kentucky

Five-star freshman Asa Newell shone in the Bulldog’s biggest win of the season.

Dec 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) dunks against the South Carolina State Bulldogs during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia five-star freshman Asa Newell has been one of the brightest players in the country so far.

At 6-foot-11, it’s long been known that his modern skillset would help the Bulldogs in the front court. But most likely weren’t expecting the level of production he’s put out so far.

Averages of 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 stocks per game have put him on plenty of NBA Draft radars, and splits of 59% overall, 68% from the free throw line and a rapidly improving 27% from beyond the arc certainly help.

But prior to the team’s bout with No. 6 Kentucky, Newell and Georgia simply hadn’t faced elite competition. The Bulldogs had faced just two ranked opponents, losing by double-digits to No. 15 Marquette, with Newell seeing one of his lesser outputs on the year.

Tuesday evening, though, both team and player made their mark.

Georgia grabbed its first SEC win of the season in stellar fashion, beating the sixth-ranked Wildcats, 82-69, with a solid two-way performance. Newell shone bright, pouring on a team-high 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting, adding seven rebounds, two assists and one steal and block apiece. Perhaps most importantly, he took five 3-pointers — a positive sign for NBA decision-makers — hitting on two of them.

All things considered, it was Newell’s most impressive outing to date, bolstering his resume as a potential lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Per an earlier scouting report on Newell: “He’s an extremely athletic power forward with the physical profile and athleticism to dominate at the next level one day, Newell has the makings of a high-impact NBA player. Although his body is still developing, the Georgia prospect is extremely quick and fluid for his height at 6-foot-10.”

There will undoubtedly be a myriad of teams who will be looking to add Newell on 2025 NBA Draft night. But for now, he’ll continue his strong season for the Bulldogs.

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