UGA basketball true freshman, former five-star recruit is projected to go early in the 2025 NBA draft
Georgia Bulldogs basketball freshman Asa Newell has been projected to be selected in the first-round of the 2025 NBA draft. Newell, a former five-star recruit, is already having a huge impact for this Georgia team.
The 6-foot-11, 220-pound freshman is a big reason why Georgia basketball is 2-0. Newell is averaging 20 points, 3.5 blocks and 7.5 rebounds per game to begin the 2024-2025 college basketball season.
Tankathon projects that Newell will be a late lottery pick in the 2025 draft. In fact, Tankathon has Newell landing with the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 14 in their latest mock draft. Yes, it is very early in the process, but so far, so good for Newell.
Additionally, ESPN has Newell going a little bit later in the 2025 draft. ESPN projects (subscription required) that Newell will go No. 20 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which would be an excellent fit for the Georgia forward.
“His mobility, fluidity, explosiveness, body control and touch around the rim allowed him to dominate the interior while also making quite a few plays defensively,” said Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
“Newell also has the green light to shoot 3-pointers, which is very interesting at 6-foot-11,” continued Givony. NBA teams are always looking for shooting.
Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell had an impressive performance against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Georgia basketball fans can watch the Bulldogs on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ as Georgia takes on 3-0 North Florida.
The Georgia Bulldogs look to see where they are as the UCF Knights come into town.
In the third season under Mike White the Georgia Bulldogs has been labeled as a “sleeper” team this year in the SEC. In this exhibition match we can gauge on what this team is made of.
Georgia is playing a talented UCF Knights team that added Dior Johnson, JJ Taylor, and Mikey Williams via transfer portal. UCF also has returning guards Jaylin Sellers and Darius Johnson who averaged 15.9 and 15.2 points.
Update: Georgia defeated UCF 114-76.
To offset the guard duo for the Knights, the Bulldogs have their own guard duo. Arguably Georgia’s best perimeter defender, Silas Demary Jr., was All-SEC Freshman Team last season being the third leading scorer and rebounding with 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds. Demary also averaged 1.4 steals per game. This offseason the development on his offensive game will be put on full display with the challenge of the Johnson/Sellers duo coming into town.
Alongside Demary Jr., Blue Cain was a player that came out on the scene that led to him getting an extended role as the season went along. Out of the six Bulldogs who shot over 100 three-point attempts, Cain ranked second with the percentage of 35.0% from three.
Cain’s shotmaking ability kept him on the floor and made him a very important piece for last year’s team. Cain now has a year under his belt, so expect him to not only be the teams best shooter but someone who can run the offense efficiently.
This offseason, Mike White and company signed their first McDonald’s All-American in Asa Newell. The five-star has been as good as advertised. In the first exhibition game of the season against Charlotte he was the leading scorer leading the team with 20 points. Newell will be relied on as the guy for this team to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
OKC Thunder adds pair of players in early 2025 NBA mock draft.
Roughly a month after the 2024 NBA draft concluded, experts have already turned their focus to the next cycle.
Next year’s draft class is centered around Duke’s Cooper Flagg. He’s seen as a blue-chip prospect that teams will likely tank for next season.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman conducted an early 2025 NBA mock draft on July 18. The Oklahoma City Thunder took a pair of first-round players from the class. They will accompany Nikola Topic as 2025-26 OKC rookies.
The Thunder gained the No. 10 pick via the LA Clippers, who they own swap rights. They added Georgia forward Asa Newell. The 18-year-old is viewed as a lottery prospect.
“At 6’11” with a live motor, Asa Newell should deliver immediate activity around the rim, easy baskets and putbacks to Georgia. He covers a lot of ground and loves to crash the glass and sprint the floor in transition.
But his developing three-point stroke and post skill is what will help push him up draft boards in 2025.”
The Thunder’s second selection comes at the No. 25 spot via the Philadelphia 76ers. OKC owns a top-six protected pick by the Sixers. They added Duke forward Isaiah Evans.
“Evans, who’s 175 pounds, will have to be very efficient with his shot selection and shooting to give Duke consistent minutes and production. But scouts may ultimately be willing to look past any inconsistency for a wing with Evans’ caliber of perimeter scoring versatility.”
Despite being championship contenders, expect premium draft capital to head toward the Thunder for the foreseeable future. They own significant assets from other teams for the rest of the 2020s.
This could help them either boost their depth with cheap, young talent or have valuable trade currency in case OKC wants to add veteran players.
Montverde boys basketball, led by Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen, have won its first 15 games of the seasons over tough opponents.
Montverde Academy (Fla.) entered this season with sky-high expectations stemming from its seven rostered players ranked as three-star or better, four of whom have five-star ratings.
Fifteen games into the season, the Eagles are more than meeting them.
On Friday, Montverde’s 93-51 win over Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) was a blowout over what is arguably another top 5-to-10 team in the nation. The Eagles scored the first 12 points of the game before taking a 24-4 lead into the second quarter. They never trailed and raised their record to 15-0 halfway through the season.
The schedule has been as demanding as any other team in the country.
Several teams Montverde beat are under consideration for the USA TODAY Sports Super 25: Huntsville (Ala.), which is 21-1, suffered its sole loss to the Eagles. Wasatch Academy fell by 35 points. Montverde beat IMG Academy and Columbus, whose rosters contain four- and five-star players such as Darius Acuff Jr., Donnie Freeman, Khani Rooths, and Cameron and Cayden Boozer, and then Link Academy, who has about a half-dozen ranked prospects of its own. AZ Compass Prep managed to keep the score within a dozen before Archbishop Stepinac fell by 40.
(USA TODAY Network)
In the City of Palms Classic, Montverde played against what are likely the second- and third-best teams in the nation in Paul VI and Long Island Lutheran. In the semifinals, Montverde took down Paul VI 69-62 before outplaying LoLu and winning by 14 in the championship.
MaxPreps has 13 games worth of stats for Montverde in its system. According to the outlet, five-star senior Derik Queen leads the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds in those games. Five-star senior Cooper Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game.
Asa Newell, a five-star forward, is averaging 12 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, while fellow five-star player Liam McNeeley is posting 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
With the Eagles led by that group of highly touted prospects, they have run through their schedule with minimal challenge. Through 15 games, it’s unclear if any team can present a serious threat to this group.
A five-star commitment for Georgia basketball? You better believe it!
Five-star power forward Asa Newell has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs over Texas, Alabama and Gonzaga. Newell is a member of the class of 2024.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward plays high school basketball for Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Montverde is one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation.
Asa Newell is ranked as the No. 8 recruit in the nation. Newell is the 2024 recruiting cycle’s second-ranked power forward and the second-ranked player in Florida, per 247Sports.
Newell’s brother, Jaden Newell, is a walk-on basketball player at the University of Georgia. Jaden and Asa both spent several years in Athens, Georgia, before moving to Florida.
Newell, who is Georgia’s only basketball commitment in the class of 2024, would be the second-highest ranked recruit to sign and play for Georgia basketball behind Anthony Edwards. Newell’s commitment is a massive win for head coach Mike White.
Georgia basketball social media was hyped up for Georgia landing a commitment from Asa Newell:
Five-star power forward Asa Newell has committed to the University of Georgia basketball team. He’s the nation’s top ranked power forward.
Power forward Asa Newell has committed to the University of Georgia. The five-star plus forward is the nation’s top ranked power forward. He’s the highest rated recruit for head coach Mike White in his short tenure at Georgia.
He chose the Bulldogs over schools like Alabama, Gonzaga, Texas and many others. He’s originally from Athens, Georgia but moved to Florida during his high school years. The 6-foot-9 power forward plays for Montverde Academy, which has an elite basketball program, in Florida. In his junior season, he averaged 15.7 points, five rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
Newell is a lanky forward that is strong with his left. His shooting can extend to the three-point line, but it’s a tad inconsistent. One of his best traits is the willingness to be aggressive in the paint for rebounds and putbacks. The power forward has the tools and skillset to be elite at the college level and he can blossom into a combo forward threat.
He’s the third-highest-ranked recruit in Georgia basketball history behind Anthony Edwards and Lou Williams. He’s a huge get for the Bulldogs basketball team that is projected anywhere from the bottom of the SEC to the middle of the pack. This could be a turning point for the Bulldogs to become a very competitive basketball program in the SEC.
2024 five-star power forward Asa Newell released his top four schools on Wednesday. Newell included Alabama as a finalist.
The Alabama basketball program has gained traction on the recruiting trail in recent years. The Crimson Tide have made a strong case to be one of the premier programs in the country. Thus, future recruits have taken notice.
One of those is 2024 five-star power forward Asa Newell. The Florida native listed Alabama as one of four finalists to land his commitment. Newell made the announcement on Wednesday via X; formerly known as Twitter.
Newell’s older brother, Jaden, is currently a small forward at Georgia. The Bulldogs are viewed by many as the frontrunner to land Newell’s commitment.
Alabama has covered some ground in Newell’s recruitment after hosting him for an official visit in early August. The Crimson Tide coaching staff has remained in close contact with Newell and would love for him to join the ’24 recruiting class. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Newell can play multiple positions and roles in Alabama’s offensive system.
Newell has not scheduled a commitment date or any additional visits. There is a strong chance that Newell will announce his commitment before the start of his senior season.
Roll Tide Wire breaks down Asa Newell’s recruiting profile.
Five-star power forward Asa Newell names his top schools.
Five-star power forward Asa Newell has the Georgia Bulldogs in his top schools. Newell is a member of the class of 2024.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward plays high school basketball for Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Montverde is one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation.
Newell’s top schools are Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Gonzaga. The Bulldogs certainly have the weakest basketball program of the four, but that did not stop Georgia from landing elite five-star recruit Anthony Edwards several years ago.
Asa Newell is ranked as the No. 8 recruit in the nation. Newell is the 2024 recruiting cycle’s second-ranked power forward and the second-ranked player in Florida, per 247Sports.
Newell plans to visit Georgia basketball in October.
How might Georgia have an edge at landing Asa Newell? Newell’s brother, Jaden Newell, is a walk-on at the University of Georgia. Jaden and Asa both spent several years of their life in Athens, Georgia, before moving to Florida.
Asa Newell had a strong performance at the recent FIBA World Cup.
Five-star forward Asa Newell is one of the top recruits in the class of 2024, landing an offer from Rutgers basketball this month.
Newell, from Montverde Academy in Florida, was offered by Rutgers in mid-July. This puts the Scarlet Knights in what is already a loaded recruitment for one of the nation’s top forwards.
A 6-foot-9 power forward who can score and defend, Newell is the No. 10 player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite. Despite being two years younger than many of his teammates – and opponents – Newell performed well for the USA Basketball U19 National Team that was part of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
His offer list includes Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan and Wake Forest among others.
6’9″, 17-year-old Asa Newell showcased an outstanding blend of two potential for Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Cup. The fluid lefty forward is light on his feet, has long arms, and effortlessly strides across the floor.
His performance at the FIBA World Cup led to some pretty solid praise from Tom Crean, the former head coach at Indiana.
At the World Cup, Newell averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. That was an impressive performance considering Newell was a 17-year old going up against professional players and college standouts.
Former Big Ten coach Tom Crean details the potential for five-star recruit Asa Newell.
Five-star forward Asa Newell has NBA potential according to former Big Ten basketball coach Tom Crean. Rutgers basketball offered Newell this week.
One of the top players in the 2024 recruiting class, the 6-foot-9 Newell has the potential to be a dominant player at the college level. A forward at Florida’s Montverde Academy, Newell is the No. 10 player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite. He recently participated at the 2023 FIBA World Cup as a member of the USA Basketball U19 National Team.
He holds offers from Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan and Wake Forest among others.
Crean, a former head coach at Indiana, tweeted about Newell this week.
This guy is excellent. I thought @NewellAsa was the most consistent on the @usabasketball U-19 team. The best wing offensive rebounder in HS ‘24. When he gets his footwork on his 3, real range and ball screens he can be a true 1 and done 1st round @NBA pick. https://t.co/vjkZlx9x1L
In the recently completed World Cup, Newell averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. It was a strong showing from Newell, especially since his teammates and opposition were very often already collegiate players if not professional players.
