NEW YORK – Tristen Newton came back to UConn for opportunities like the one he earned Saturday night, a chance to compete for the Big East Tournament title.
The UConn staff gave him space and supported him from a distance as Newton tested the professional waters after leading the Huskies along their 2023 national title run. He ultimately decided on May 31 – after participating in the NBA G League Elite Camp and not receiving an invite to the Draft Combine, where teammates Andre Jackson, Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins were – that another year in Storrs would put him in a better position for his future.
“The beautiful thing for Tristen is this is exactly what we talked about when he had to make the decision,” coach Dan Hurley said. “Last year he was at the combine, he had to decide what he wanted to do and it was: Come back to school, become a first-teamer or player of the year in the league and improve your position with the NBA.
“It’s just great when you push a kid to make a decision to return and it plays out like this. But he’s one of the best guards in the country, he’s obviously a first-team All-American.”
Another one of Newton’s goals was to break the program’s triple-double record, which he tied with Shabazz Napier after becoming the first UConn basketball player to reach the feat twice in a season. It only took six games to cross that off the list.
He wanted to show who he is as a player and, of course, have a shot at another national championship. Both are happening.
Newton put together his seventh game with 20-plus points this year as he led the Huskies to the Big East Tournament final with 25 in a 95-90 win over St. John’s in an electric Madison Square Garden atmosphere Friday night. The constant triple-double threat added nine assists and six rebounds.
“UConn is a historic program, a lot of championships, and having the national championship last year was great,” he said. “We’ve been striving all year to win multiple championships and this is one of the stops. Throughout the (last) two years, we’ve been making a lot of history.”
Newton is wrapping up a historically successful two-year run in Storrs – “Look at the back of his baseball card,” Hurley said – and has given the Huskies a chance to complete the third leg of the triple-crown with another shot at a national title…
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