The 2025 NBA Draft class has introduced a wealth of talented five-star freshmen to college basketball this year, including Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and others.
A standout has been Asa Newell from Georgia, who has exceeded expectations in his team’s early games. Standing at 6-foot-11, he has long been on NBA scouts’ radars due to his solid power, athleticism, and an emerging skill set that includes ball-handling and occasional 3-point shooting.
In the game against Alabama A&M on Tuesday night, Newell excelled again, contributing 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds, two steals, and two assists. He hit his second 3-pointer of the season on his only attempt and committed just one foul in 23 minutes of play. Performances like his on Tuesday are becoming routine for Newell, who has scored in double figures in all five of his games so far. He has maintained a shooting percentage of 50% or higher in each contest, highlighting his traditional rim-rolling style, which is still an impressive feat for a freshman.
For the season, Newell averages 16.8 points per game on an impressive 54% shooting, along with 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. While he will need to maintain this performance against tougher opponents in the future, his stats would rank him among the top freshmen in the nation.
Currently, Flagg is at the forefront of this talented group, with players like Newell closely following.
