UConn Basketball: Tristen Newton’s unheralded impact on the Huskies

He won’t be remembered like Kemba Walker or Shabazz Napier, but guard Tristen Newton continues to be important for the success of UConn Basketball.

Entering the 2022-23 campaign, there were real questions regarding what eventual national champion UConn was going to do at the point guard position. After losing the backcourt of RJ Cole and Tyrese Martin, Dan Hurley brought in Tristen Newton via transfer from East Carolina. In the 2021-22 season, the crafty 6’5″ guard stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.

The numbers were excellent, but the Pirates finished the season 15-15 and just 6-11 in AAC play. Could Newton be part of a winner? He was not expected to be the number one with UConn Basketball as he had been with ECU, but he did need to be a dependable lead guard who produced in other ways.

That’s not to say the scoring didn’t show up. In the five games last season where Tristen Newton was the leading scorer, UConn went 5-0. He logged eight games of 15 or more points and shot a career-best 36.6% from three. Newton wasn’t the first option – at best he was the third or fourth – but he was still a legitimate threat. Per EvanMiya’s BPR, Newton was one of the 20 most impactful players in the country and fifth in the Big East.

UConn’s two most recent title runs prior to 2023 were each spearheaded by a dynamic lead guard, Kemba Walker in 2011 and Shabazz Napier in 2014. Tristen Newton won’t be mentioned in the same rarified air as those two (although he did surpass Napier when he became the only Husky to record two triple-doubles in one season), but he was nonetheless indispensable for UConn’s national championship campaign. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game during the 2023 NCAA Tournament and finished with a flourish: 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in the final game against San Diego State.

In a way, Newton’s performance in the national championship game was a microcosm of UConn’s whole season. The Huskies opened the 2022-23 season strong, winning 14 straight and rising as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll. Dan Hurley’s squad then hit a snag towards the beginning of conference play, losing six of their next eight games. The course correction was strong. With that speed bump behind them, UConn closed the season winning 15 of 17.

Similarly, Newton got off to a hot start in the national championship game, helping extend the UConn lead to as much as 16 in the first half. He went into the break with nine points, four rebounds, and two assists. Then, some poor ball-handling and decision-making from Newton saw the Husky lead shrink to just five with 5:19 to play. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, UConn’s lead guard registered just four points, three rebounds, and one assist while failing to convert a field goal. Finally, Hurley’s group put the game away, ending on a 16-4 run. In that span, Tristen Newton tallied six points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Impact, followed by struggle, followed by a strong finish. Tristen Newton’s performance was emblematic of UConn’s season, and it culminated in cutting down the nets.

Tristen Newton may not be remembered the same way as notable UConn guards of the past, but he remains a key piece as the Huskies look to defend their national title and hold steady in the upper echelon of the Big East. UConn Basketball hosts Northern Arizona to open their season on November 6 with tipoff at 6:30 PM EST.