BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Another Husky is off the board, as Tristen Newton has been selected 49th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The 23-year-old, 6-foot-5 guard from El Paso, Texas transferred to UConn in the summer of 2022 following three seasons at East Carolina. After entering college as an unranked high school recruit, Newton leaves UConn to play at the highest level.
Newton joins teammates Stephon Castle, the fourth overall pick of the San Antonio Spurs, and Donovan Clingan, the seventh overall pick of the Portland Trail Blazers, in the NBA.
Newton, a two-time national champion, will forever be remembered by Huskies fans for the immediate and lasting impact he had on the team. He started both seasons for the Huskies and led the team in points in the 2023 national championship game against San Diego State.
In 2023-2024, Newton evolved into the team’s unquestioned leader. He was selected to the All-Big East First Team following the regular season, but the accolades were just beginning. Newton went on to win the Bob Cousy Award, recognizing him as the top point guard in Division I last season.
Newton continued his excellence in the postseason, helping UConn win its first Big East Tournament crown since 2011. He did not slow his pace during March Madness either. En route to the second of back-to-back national championships, Newton was named an AP First-Team All-American.
After playing 39 minutes and scoring a team high 20 points in the national championship game against Purdue, Newton was named the 2024 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Twenty-four hours later, when the team returned to Storrs, Newton’s number was enshrined in Gampel Pavilion among the Huskies of Honor. He is only the third UConn basketball player to earn the distinction while still enrolled as a student on campus, joining Kemba Walker in 2011 and Shabazz Napier in 2014.
As a graduate student, Newton averaged 15.1 points per game while securing 6.6 rebounds and dishing out 6.2 assists per contest in 2023-2024.
While Newton isn’t expected to be the focal piece of the Pacers’ offense, his considerable size, passable athleticism and trophy case of accolades made him a strong candidate to be selected in the second round of the draft. Newton projects as a bench player and could be a backup point guard on a Pacers team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last month.
Newton’s ability to impact the game without scoring should ensure he gets an opportunity to make an impact for Indiana, although he could spend time in the G-League to begin his professional career.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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