Overview
Initially attending Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Newell was named area Player of the Year as a sophomore after averaging 14.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg. Before his junior year, he transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., and became a five-star recruit, eventually committing to play at Georgia. He also earned gold for the United States during the 2022 U17 World Cup. During his lone season at Georgia (2024-25), he averaged 15.4 ppg on 54/29/75 shooting, 6.9 rpg, 1 spg and 1 bpg. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and was a four-time SEC Freshman of the Week.
Analysis
Newell is most comfortable offensively in the paint as a talented finisher, including some mid-range jumpers, and he’s an elite offensive rebounder. He’s working on his 3-point range, but his generally good touch suggests that development shouldn’t be an uphill battle. Defensively, he’s dynamic and athletic enough to guard multiple positions and should be able to switch at the NBA level. Newell makes hustle plays with effort and athleticism on both ends of the floor.
Quotable
“He’s the same guy every day. He could start a game missing his first four [shots] and might make his next four. His facial expression is not going to change. He’s still going to be compliant in terms of making winning plays, passing to the guy that is open, chasing offensive rebounds, closing out correctly.” — Georgia head coach Mike White
Some stats & tidbits
Newell scored 26 points vs. Tennessee Tech on Nov. 4, 2024, matching matched Dominique Wilkins’ 1979 record for the most points by a Georgia freshman in his debut … Older brother, Jaden, was a teammate at Georgia in 2024-25 … Played at Montverde Academy with fellow 2025 NBA Draft prospects Cooper Flagg, Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen.
Projection
Newell should be able to find minutes in the NBA through his defensive versatility and pure effort on both ends of the floor. His development path could be affected by how he balances wanting to shoot 3-pointers versus pounding the offensive glass for putbacks. That gives him a range of outcomes, but his playstyle could end up sharing similarities to Paul Millsap, Day’Ron Sharpe or Paul Reed.
— Profile by RotoWire.com