By ADAM ZAGORIA
Asa Newell, No. 1-ranked power forward in the Class of 2024 from Montverde (FL) Academy, has a big summer ahead.
The 6-foot-9 Newell is one of a handful of high school players who made the USA U19 team that will compete in the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup later this month in Hungary. He’s also trying to whittle down his list of schools.
“It will be an honor to represent my country and it’s also a huge blessing, something I’ve been praying for,” Newell said in a recent phone interview.
As far as recruiting, Newell broke down some of his top contenders for ZAGSBLOG:
Georgia: “Obviously, it being my home town and everything, they want me to get there really bad. I feel like I have the deepest relationship with them, all the way from Erik Pastrana coaching at Oklahoma State to now Georgia, he was my first offer so I know him on a personal level. Georgia’s up there for sure.”
Indiana: “They want to see me use their platforms and help me get to the NBA. They see me as a leader and I really don’t have a position with them. I’m supposed to get on a Zoom call with them so they can tell me their full plan.”
Kansas: “It really meant a lot for the head coach to come out and his assistants [they went 4 deep at USA practice]. Before this camp, they weren’t really hitting my line, but now they’re really on me and they want me to get on campus so it means a lot.”
Gonzaga: “Gonzaga offered me about two weeks ago. I’m still getting a relationship with them and everything. I think I might try to get on campus with them for them to tell me their full plan as well.”
Texas: “They do a really good job running the floor and they use their lengthy athletes a lot. They had a great run last with Coach RT [Rodney Terry], he got the job done. So it’s all about the process, and I want to get on campus with them, too.”
Alabama: “Coach Ryan Pannone, he came up here and he sends me a lot of clips on pros he studies and he has a really good basketball mind. And coach Nate Oats, he’s telling me that they’re the No. 1-paced team in college basketball and they did an amazing job with Brandon Miller.”
Newell will return from Hungary and then play AAU on the New Balance circuit with his One Family team.
“And then I’ll go to Montverde after,” he said.
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