STORRS, Conn. — UConn senior point guard Tristen Newton is among 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, the most prestigious individual honor in men’s college basketball.
Newton, a 6-5 graduate student from El Paso, Texas, is in his second season leading the Huskies’ backcourt. The transfer from East Carolina was a key component of UConn’s 2023 national championship run and returned to Storrs for his fifth year of eligibility.
This season, Newton has averaged 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, leading the team in all three categories. Newton has also shot 41.1% from the field and recorded two triple doubles in the 2023-2024 campaign, adding to the two he recorded last season.
First awarded in 1977, the Wooden Award is presented annually to the most outstanding men’s college basketball player. Since 2004, the Wooden Award has also been awarded to the top female college basketball player.
This year’s men’s Wooden Award field includes last season’s winner, Zach Edey of Purdue. Edey, a 7-4 senior center, is the favorite to win this year’s award as well.
Other top contenders include Dalton Knecht, a 6-6 senior guard from Tennessee, and RJ Davis, a 6-0 senior guard from North Carolina. Both have had outstanding seasons, leading their respective teams in points, averaging over 20 points per game.
Marquette senior guard Tyler Kolek, the 2023 Big East Conference Player of the Year, was also named to the Wooden Award ballot.
RELATED: UConn Men's basketball team moves up to No. 2 spot in AP Top 25 poll, Houston remains No. 1
Newton has long odds of winning the Wooden Award, but his team is in prime position to do damage during March Madness. UConn will likely be a one seed when the brackets are announced on March 17, thanks in a large part to Newton’s consistent performance and leadership.
At East Carolina, Newton played primarily as a shooting guard before being given primary ball-handling responsibilities upon his arrival at UConn. After an up and down regular season in 2022-2023, Newton played some of the best ball of his career during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 points in the NCAA national championship against San Diego State.
He hopes to continue where he left off as tournament play resumes this month. After tonight’s game at Providence, UConn will begin the Big East Conference Tournament next Thursday at noon at Madison Square Garden; the Huskies already locked up the tournament’s one seed after securing the conference’s regular season title last Sunday with a win against Seton Hall.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@fox61.com.
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
