NCAA Basketball: Top 20 pending “covid year” player decisions to watch

18. Tristen Newton – UConn Huskies

2022-23 season stats: 10.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.7 apg

Newton’s production this past season certainly dipped compared to his time at East Carolina but it paid off with a national championship, The senior guard did his part, going for 19 points and 10 rebounds in the title game victory over San Diego State.

Newton isn’t someone that the Huskies can easily replace. He had two triple-doubles on the season and is a veteran playmaker. If he returns, the team won’t have to worry about any backcourt issues as it looks to repeat.

17. Tre Mitchell – West Virginia Mountaineers

2022-23 season stats: 11.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 apg

On a West Virginia sqaud that was at times, erratic this season, Mitchell, who tied for second in scoring and first in rebounding, was the most consistent producer. He had back-to-back 20+ point games against Kansas and Oklahoma State, along with 17 points and nine rebounds in the Big 12 Tournament win over Texas Tech.

Mitchell was the only frontcourt player on the team to score more than four points a game and with Erik Stevenson, Emmitt Matthews, and Kedrian Johnson all gone, the Mountaineers need him to return to stabilize the roster. They have a couple of mid-major transfer guards coming in but as he’s shown throughout his NCAA Basketball career, Mitchell is a dependent offensive option that the team will struggle to replace.