UConn’s Star Point Guard Poised to Lead Another Final Four Run
At guard, a 6 foot 5 graduate student from El Paso, Texas, number 2, Tristen Newton! For UConn fans, they’ve grown accustomed to this introduction the past two seasons. However, it wasn’t long ago when he was the opposition for the Huskies. He played against UConn during his freshman year for East Carolina back in the 2019-2020 season. This was Dan Hurley’s first glimpse at his future point guard. He was sensational in that game, leading the way for his team with 25 points in a loss to the Huskies in UConn’s final season in the American Athletic Conference.
Fast forward to the 2022-2023 season, Tristen Newton ended up making the best decision of his basketball career. A highly sought after transfer, he choose UConn for one reason- to win a national championship. That’s what Dan Hurley promised the players he brought in and the team was able to deliver. Tristen Newton himself was instrumental for the 2023 National Championship team down the stretch, punctuated by a 19 point, 10 rebound, 4 assist stat line in the title game.
Some questioned whether he would withdraw from college and try to turn pro. He ultimately decided to return in hopes to further improve his game and bolster his chances at a shot to be on a NBA roster. What he has also done is cement his legacy as an all-time UConn great.
UConn basketball is a revolving door of college basketball legends at the point guard position, from Khalid El-Amin, to Kemba Walker, to Shabazz Napier, the list could go on and on. Tristen Newton has earned his place among the upper echelon of UConn guards. Nicknamed “Mr. Triple Double”, Newton is UConn’s all-time leader with four to his name. This is the most of any active player in Division 1, and also the most of any power conference player since Shaquille O’Neal had six with LSU from 1989-1992. Not only that, he is the only active player to have passed career totals of 1,800 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists.
As you can see, what Tristen Newton provides on the court means everything for this UConn team. He is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation, can get his teammates involved, and can shoulder the offensive scoring load when needed. Because of this, if he is struggling in one aspect of his game, he is able to overcome this and be impactful no matter the circumstances.
As the Big East Tournament is coming to a close and March Madness is almost upon us, expect Tristen Newton to shine once again. He’s playing his best basketball down the stretch of the season, most recently scoring 25 points while dishing out 9 assists and grabbing 6 rebounds in a 95-90 win over St. John’s in the Big East semifinals.
UConn has had their eyes on multiple titles this season: the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships, one of which has already been accomplished, and the other is within arm’s reach. “Having the National Championship last year was great, but we’ve been striving all year to win multiple championships and this is one of the stops” said Newton postgame after their semifinal win over St. John’s in the Big East Tournament. The team has obviously made winning the Big East Tournament as a top priority going into the season. Not that they needed any extra motivation, but playing Marquette in the Championship, the team that knocked them out of the tournament last season, will add even more fuel to their fire. The third, and most important title however, is a second consecutive National Championship. This is the standard at UConn and they have as good of a chance as any team in the nation to win it all. Most college players only get one shining moment, Tristen Newton may very well have two.