WICHITA – Georgia freshman Asa Newell is no stranger to Gonzaga, Thursday’s opponent in the NCAA Tournament.
Had the first-year player not decided to join his brother Jaden in Athens, Newell could have chosen the Zags as one of the top high school players in the country.
“It was a tough decision to me, but obviously I came here,” said Newell, who chose the Bulldogs over Gonzaga, Texas and Alabama.
“I mean, it was great,” Newell said of his official visit to Gonzaga. “Spokane is a really nice city. It’s beautiful out there.”
Georgia head coach Mike White is glad that Newell made the decision he did.
Newell’s first season has undoubtedly been as advertised.
In his 32 starts, Newell earned Freshman All-SEC honors after averaging 15.3 points per game and finished with the third-best field goal percentage in the conference at 54.1 percent.
His 104 rebounds also represented the second-most in the SEC, and he ranked No. 11 in total rebounds with 219.
“He's unfazed. He has been since our first game. We knew a week in -- probably a month in that he was special. We're winding down here. He's never had a bad practice. He's never had a bad day. He's the same guy every day,”
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few remembers Newell well.
“It’s just one of the interesting ties that take place in college basketball,” Few said. “We recruited Asa really, really hard. He’s just a great player and an even better person. He comes from a great family.”
Zags star guard Ryan Nembhard is also familiar with Newell.
Nembhard attended the same Montverde Academy as Newell. Although the two never played together, they did meet during Newell’s visit to Spokane and has kept up with the young Bulldog this season.
“He came here on a visit and he went to Montverde, so I’m familiar with him,” Nembhard said. “I went to dinner with him when he was hanging around. I didn’t know him at Montverde, but I definitely watched him. I’m a fan of his game.”
White has no doubt Newell for his first test on the NCAA Tournament stage.
“He could start a game missing his first four and might make his next four. His face expression is not going to change. He's still going to be compliant in terms of making winning plays, passing to the guy that's open, chasing offensive rebounds, closing out correctly,” White said. “He's a winning player. He's been a huge pleasure to coach. He's a great teammate. He is humility. He is consistency. He's a stud.”
