ASUN Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
24. Derick Newton
A 6’7 wing from Beverly Hills, California, Newton made his way across the country, playing for Corey Williams over at Stetson earlier in the decade. He arrived on campus back in 2015 and was an excellent weapon for the Hatters right off the bat, though he’d stay in college for just two seasons, departing for the G-League after that.
A stunning freshman campaign saw him average 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while making 47% of his 3-pointers, albeit with limited opportunities. He had a 30-point effort against USC Upstate in a win and scored at least 20 points during Stetson’s run in the ASUN Tournament. In year two, Newton averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. Even though the Hatters won just 11 games that season, he was still one of the ASUN’s better offensive weapons, including a 33-point, 11-rebound effort against Florida A&M on one of his best nights.
Newton was named ASUN Rookie of the Year in year one and found a place on the Second Team All-ASUN as a sophomore. He was among the most efficient shooters in the league, and also avoided turnovers at an impressive rate in that second season. He was off to better opportunities in the G-League, but still made quite the impression in that brief time at Stetson.