Georgia Bulldogs: Five-Star Asa Newell Continues to Shine

NBA Draft hopeful Asa Newell continues to impressive for Georgia.

Nov 19, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) drives to the basket against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Draft class offered a bevy of talented five-star freshman to college basketball this year: Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and many more.

One surprise has been Georgia’s Asa Newell, who’s looked much better than expected through the team’s handful of games. At 6-foot-11, he’s long been on NBA radars with solid power and athleticism, as well as a dash of modernity with ball-handling and 3-point shooting in moderation.

In the 93-45 thwarting of Alabama A&M on Tuesday night, Newell again shone from the starting lineup, adding a patented 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, with six rebounds, two steals and two assists. He cashed in his second 3-pointer of the season on his only try of the night, and fouled only once in 23 minutes.

Performances like Tuesday’s are quickly becoming normalcy for Newell, who’s scored in double figures in all five of his games so far. He’s shot 50% or above in each contest, more of a testament to his traditional-esque style as a rim-roller than anything, but a still impressive mark for a freshman. 

On the season, Newell has now scored 16.8 points per contest on a solid 54% shooting, adding 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and an impressive 2.5 blocks per game. While the Bulldog will certainly need to show it against better competition than he has thus far, that stat line would land him among the better freshmen in the country, undoubtedly.

For now, Flagg leads the crop of newbies as players like Newell trail close behind.

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