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Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Why Asa Newell Is One Of The Most Unique Players Of The 2025 Class
Asa Newell, 2025 NBA Draft Class. After a quieter group in 2024, the 2025 NBA Draft Class has bred a great deal of excitement. Stars like Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen have everyone hungry to see what this generation of players is capable of doing. However, we need to be careful not to forget about their high school teammate at Monteverde Academy, former five-star recruit Asa Newell. After a decorated high school career, Newell spent one year with the Georgia Bulldogs before declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. For those who aren't overly familiar with his game, the best sales pitch for it is that Newell arguably has the most complete combination of the two attributes the game of basketball biases toward the most: size and shooting. Since the sport was invented, basketball has favored the more vertically-gifted. At 6'9 with a 6'11 wingspan, Newell has the physical tools to excel at the next level. His size isn't just for show, either. Newell leverages his stature to help whatever team he plays for dominate the possession game. Because he played at such an esteemed high school alongside such talented teammates, Newell never had the opportunity to take a play off. Routine practices took on the intensity of an NBA playoff series. These conditions gave rise to a motor that few other players can match. "Iron sharpens iron," Newell told me in an interview for Forbes. "I went to Monteverde to play against the best competition. And, you know, just being able to practice against each other, watch how fast we move, how hard we work, it was an experience that made us all better." While Newell was a beneficiary of playing alongside the nation's best, he also contributed to their growth as well. Battling with Flagg and Queen on a daily basis certainly gets the competitive juices flowing. However, Newell grew up in a family where giving it your all wasn't just a cool fad. It was a way of life. One example he cited to me was how his parents would drive from Destin, Florida, to Orlando (roughly a seven hour drive) every single weekend for his AAU tournaments. Seeing how much his parents were willing to sacrifice to see him succeed inspired young Newell to never stop reaching for the stars. He also had a shining example of what it takes to make it to the Division I level in his older brother, Jaden. Jaden walked on at Georgia in 2023, and last season, the two brothers got to play alongside one another (earning their associate degrees together in the process). "Playing basketball with him has been amazing," Newell noted. 'He pushes me in ways that few others can.' From a basketball standpoint, Newell's experiences with hard work and determination have manifested themselves into a never-ending urge to hunt offensive rebounds. According to KenPom, Newell had the fifth-highest offensive rebounding percentage in the SEC (the best conference in college basketball this season). Having a player who is constantly creating second chances for your team is a huge boost to your offense. Just look at the Houston Rockets, who, despite their poor shooting (23rd in effective field goal percentage), still managed to have the second-best regular season team in the Western Conference in large part because of their league-leading offensive rebounding. At this point, every NBA player has size or shooting as a bow in their quiver. Having one of these tools is basically a requirement for entry in today's NBA landscape. However, having both these variables on your side takes from good to extremely dangerous. At a glance, Newell doesn't seem like a credible shooter. He shot just 29.2% from downtown in his lone season at Georgia. But keep in mind, that was just a 33-game sample size, and 3-point shooting is an incredibly volatile stat. All his other indicators suggest that he can be an effective spacer at the NBA level. Newell shot 74.8% from the free throw line, he was allowed to attempt the fourth-most threes on the team (a coach wouldn't give you the green light if they didn't think you could shoot), and his shooting motion is quick and easily replicable. Newell's blend of functional size and shooting potential was unlike any other player in college basketball this year. Of all players to appear in at least 20 games this season, Newell is the only one to average an offensive rebounding percentage of 14% while attempting at least five threes per 100 possessions (per Bart Torvik). Not even National Player of the Year Johni Broome could completely match those numbers. All 2024-25 NCAA Players with at least 20 games played, an offensive rebounding percentage of 11% or ... More higher, and at least 25 made threes. If that wasn't promising enough, to ensure that his shot will translate at the next level, Newell has been working diligently to eliminate any wasted movements from his jumper. 'I've really been working hard to improve my 3-point shot," Newell told me. "It's not even that it's a weakness. I just think I had a lot of wasted movements. At Georgia, I would catch the ball and bring it way down before launching it. Now, I'm just catching and shooting it." The other parts of Newell's game that many draft analysts have focused on are his scoring efficiency (80th percentile true shooting percentage in SEC) and ability to guard multiple positions on defense. The former is a testament to his affinity for battling inside and securing good positions for layups (see tweet above) and putbacks around the rim. Meanwhile, the latter is a byproduct of his upbringing. "My dad owned a CrossFit gym. So, I grew up doing all sorts of squats, deadlifts, and different ladder drills. I also played soccer and swam," Newell revealed. "Working on my body and coordination in all these different ways really helped me grow up to be quicker/more agile than most people my size." Newell's blend of size, shooting, inside efficiency, and positional versatility puts him in a unique archetype of player. During our conversation, one former NBA player Newell mentioned attempting to emulate was Chris Bosh, and when you really diagram it out, he isn't that far off from the eleven-time All-Star. Both are left-handed power forwards who tout a great deal of skill on both the interior and the perimeter. Reaching the same heights as a Hall of Famer is a lofty goal to put on a 19-year-old, but the fact that Newell even has the same outline as someone like Bosh makes him one of the most interesting players in his class.
Miami Herald
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Doral softball wins battle of top teams. South Florida dominates state hoops honors. Plus more
In a battle of top unbeaten teams, the visiting Doral Academy Miami softball team shut out FHSAA defending 2A state champ Monteverde Academy 10-0. Prior to the game, Doral was ranked fourth nationally by MaxPreps. Monteverde ranked second. Winning pitcher Meagan Villazon dominated on the mound, striking out 12 while allowing no runs, five hits and two walks in a complete game 7-inning shutout effort. After four scoreless innings, the Firebirds (14-0) erupted with six runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the seventh. Anabela Abdullah hit a grand slam home run in the fifth to ignite the offensive outburst. Zoey Abdullah went 3-for-3 with a double and scored twice. Doral Academy 10, Monteverde Academy 0: Anabela Abdullah 1-3, HR, BB, 2 R, 4 RBI; Zoey Abdullah 3-3, 2B, BB, 2 R; Ashley Tremont 2-4, 2 R; Leyani Viruet 1-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI; Sarah Breaux 1-3, 2B, BB, R, RBI; Anely Gonzalez 1-3, R, RBI; Meagan Villazon 0-1, 3 BB, RBI. Dor 14-0, Mont 9-1. State basketball honors The eight individual class finalists for the 2025 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball and Boys' Basketball Coach of the Year were announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school boys' basketball coaches and prep media members. And South Florida is very well represented with these honors, after an outstanding season in the state in boys' hoops. Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in their classification, making each the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in their class. The two overall winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media. Six of the state's eight classification winners (now eligible for Mr. Basketball honors) are from South Florida. They are: Cameron Boozer, Columbus, Senior, Forward, Class 7A Player of the Year: The McDonald's All-America led his team to a 27-3 record and a fourth straight Class 7A state championship by averaging 22.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Signed with Duke University. Dwayne Wimbley, St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Forward, Class 6A Player of the Year: Led his team to a 30-2 record and the Class 6A state championship by averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Signed with Florida State University. Dylon Hanna, Blanche Ely, Senior, Guard, Class 5A Player of the Year: Led his team to a 20-9 record and the Class 5A state championship by averaging 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Shon Abaev, Calvary Christian, Senior, Forward, Class 3A Player-of-the-Year: The McDonald's All-America led his team to a 22-1 record and the Class 3A state title by averaging 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Signed with the University of Cincinnati. Alex Lloyd, Westminster Academy, Senior, Guard, Class 2A Player of the Year: Led his team to a spot in the regional semifinal before losing 76-75 to eventual state champion Riviera Prep. Averaged 27.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Signed with the University of Florida. Matt Able, Sagemont, Senior, Guard, Class 1A Player of the Year: Led his team to a 22-8 record and the Class 1A state title by averaging 20.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.7 steals per game. For the upcoming state's overall coach of the year honors, five of the eligible eight classification winners are from South Florida. They are: Julius Sandi, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 30-2 record and the Class 6A state championship, the school's first state title since 2001. In five seasons at Aquinas, Sandi has compiled a 109-25 record. J.R. McNabb, Blanche Ely, Class 5A Coach of the Year: In his first year as head of the Ely boys' program, McNabb led his squad to a 20-9 record and the Class 5A state championship, the school's ninth boys' state title and first since 2019. McNabb also won girls' state titles with Ely in 2020 and Somerset Academy in 2018 and 2019. Edward Schuler, Stranahan, Class 4A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 25-7 record and the Class 4A state title. It was the school's fourth state title in the past seven years (2019-20-22-25). In five years at Stranahan, Schuler has posted a 92-30 record. Anthony Shahbaz, Riviera Prep, Class 2A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 25-6 record and a third straight state title. In six years, Shahbaz has compiled a 160-60 record at Riviera Prep, including a state runner-up finish in 2022. David Roe, Sagemont, Class 1A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 22-8 record and a third straight state title. In eight years, Roe has a 157-64 record at Sagemont, including a state runner-up finish in 2022. Other locals who placed in each classification: 7A: 2. Cayden Boozer (Columbus); 2. Coach Andrew Moran (Columbus). 4A: 3. Christian Yeargin (Stranahan). 3A: 2. Coach Cilk McSweeney (Calvary Christian). 2A: 3. Jasen Lopez (Chaminade-Madonna). State soccer honors The Florida Dairy Farmers state classification honors for boys' soccer were announced. Locals placing in the Top 3 in the state of their respective classification balloting (as voted by boys' soccer coaches and preps media) are: 5A: 3. Logan Hall (Pembroke Pines Charter). 4A: 2. Coach Davide Favaro (Mater Lakes Academy). 3A: 3. Coach Scott Davdson (Gulliver Prep). 1A: 3. Daniel Yanes (Pinecrest Prep). Baseball Doral Academy Miami baseball is also having a stellar season with two more wins to improve to 14-2-1. Between baseball and softball at Doral, they are 28-2-1 combined. Doral Academy 13, Springstead Spring Hill 3: Gabriel Milano 2-3, 3 RBI; Dylan Prince 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Tyler Rodriguez 1-2, 2 RBI; Caleb Hernandez 2-3, 2 RBI; Bryan Mesa 2-4, RBI; Marcelo Rodriguez (winning pitcher in relief) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB; Anthony Leon 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Dor 14-2-1. Doral Academy 19, Gulliver Prep 6: Gabriel Milano 2-2, HR, 2 RBI; Dylan Prince 2-2, HR, 2 RBI; Jadyn Nunez 1-2, HR, 3 RBI; Leandro Hernandez 2-4, HR, 4 RBI; Winning Pitcher Arron Elissalt 3 IP, 0 ER, 2 K. Dor 13-2-1. Boys' volleyball Going into the break, the American Heritage Plantation boys' volleyball team won again to even its mark at 3-3. American Heritage Plantation d. Don Soffer Aventura 25-7, 25-21, 25-9: Amare Stoudimare 15 kills, 5 service points, 3 blocks; Aiden Itzkowitz 14 digs, 2.15 reception rating, 11 service points, 3 aces; Sean Kanji 30 assists, 5 digs, 2 blocks. AHP 3-3. Water polo In a tight contest of two solid teams, Gulliver Prep Miami boys' water polo edged Columbus Miami 10-9 with Sebastian Peidra scoring the winner. BOYS: Gulliver Prep 10, Columbus 9: Sebastian Piedra (junior) 2 goals, 5 earned exclusions, 2 steals, 2 assists; Juan Sebastian Ibarra (junior) 9 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assist; Alberto Escobedo (senior) 2 goals, 3 assists, 3 steals; Alejandro Altman (freshman) 1 goal, 2 steals. GP 13-7. Send high school sports results For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online. --- Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
