Tristen Newton’s remarkable journey from underrated high school recruit to UConn’s star point guard

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GLENDALE, Arizona — UConn has dominated the NCAA tournament for two straight years now and leading the charge as floor general is 6-foot-5 guard Tristen Newton.

The fifth-year senior transferred in two seasons ago and has been the anchor for Dan Hurley’s squad this season. Last year he averaged 10.1 points and 4.7 assists per game as the Huskies marched their way to a national championship and this year he’s taken on more of a leadership role.

“Regardless of what happened last year, we have a whole different team and a whole different outlook on the game,” Newton told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not that much of a vocal guy. I’ll go out there and show the young guys what they need to do. I really credit that from Andre [Jackson Jr.] from last year and he really showed us new guys how UConn works and I feel like since he left, I’ve taken over that role and I credit him for all of that.”

Newton’s journey to UConn has been unique, with twists and turns. He played high school basketball at Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, and didn’t receive any interest or offers from a single Division I high-major program. It’s not like he was flying completely under the radar though. He scored over 3,200 points in his high school career and scored 51 points in a playoff game as a sophomore against a future lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft in Jarrett Culver.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 28: Tristen Newton #2 of the Connecticut Huskies claps in between play against the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at TD Garden on March 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

When it came time to choose a college program, he chose East Carolina over Delaware State, Evansville, Northeastern and Rio Grande.

“Sometimes you’re overlooked for a reason and I feel like my reason was because I was in El Paso where there’s not much competition,” Newton said. “I see why not a…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tristen-newtons-remarkable-journey-from-underrated-high-school-recruit-to-uconns-star-point-guard-044613206.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-04-06 04:46:13

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