Asa Newell reflects on time at Georgia, addresses future with Bulldogs

If superstar freshman Asa Newell has truly played his final game in a Georgia uniform as is widely expected, the former On3 Five-Star Plus+ prospect from Athens is leaving his hometown program with nothing but positive feelings despite a one-and-done exit from the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

“I would say the college experience was amazing. Wearing the G on my chest, it’s something I’ll never take for granted,” Newell said Thursday evening shortly after scoring a game-high 20 points for ninth-seeded Georgia in an 89-68 loss to No. 8-seeded Gonzaga in their opening-round game. “I’m just so blessed to have teammates and a wonderful coach like Coach (Mike) White helping me through the process. I just take it all in.”

Newell, who averaged a team-leading 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds this past season, is widely-projected to be potential lottery pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, with On3‘s James Fletcher III ranking the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-11 forward as his No. 15 overall prospect in his latest big board.

“For Asa Newell, offensive production and rebounding have been no problem in his college career as he gets to his spots,” Fletcher wrote. “He has led Georgia to their heights throughout the season and his struggles often correlate with the team. However, the need to become more consistent while developing his perimeter game to help his case to play with other bigs remains. He is a clear forward, but lacks a few skills needed to make the most of the position.”

An On3 Five-Star Plus+ prospect, Newell was the No. 12 overall prospect and No. 2-ranked power forward in the 2024 cycle out of Athens’ Montverde (Fla.) Academy, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Given the blowout status of Thursday’s first-round nightcap against Gonzaga, Newell got the rare opportunity to play on the court with his older brother, Bulldogs sophomore forward Jaden Newell, with the two brothers embracing one another in the game’s closing seconds. It was “a beautiful moment” the younger Newell will carry with him wherever he lands next.

“Yeah, the moment with my brother, you know, it’s just a beautiful moment. I got to share some of my last seconds of the team’s last seconds in March Madness together,” Newell said. “It was just a beautiful moment. Something that if a picture comes out, I will probably put it on my wall in my house. The next process is just talking to my circle and praying to God.”