In an exclusive interview with Babcock Hoops, Asa Newell dives into his journey. From growing up in Athens and moving to Florida to teaming up with fellow 2025 NBA Draft prospects Cooper Flagg, Liam McNeeley, and Derik Queen at powerhouse Montverde Academy, he’ll soon begin his freshman season with his hometown Georgia Bulldogs.
Growing up in Athens, Georgia, Asa Newell went to preschool across the street from the Stegeman Coliseum with his older brother Jaden.
His father, Justin, recalls picking them up and passing the arena every day.
Having been in their shoes, with a grandmother who worked at an animal hospital and a grandfather who worked in the physics department on campus, Justin wanted to make a lasting impression on his boys by taking them to see the Bulldogs like his folks did when he was their age.
“That was their first basketball game. That was the first seed planted,” Justin told Babcock Hoops over the phone in an exclusive interview.
All Asa wanted to see that night was a dunk. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
But now, primed to suit up for the school he rooted for when he was younger, in a city that he holds dear to his heart, Asa will have the chance to do that himself.
“It's great 'cause I've got family all around. This is something I want to do, help bring Georgia basketball back,” Asa told Babcock Hoops over the phone in an exclusive interview.
“The best thing is that the fans are really hungry for a great basketball team. The culture has changed at Georgia basketball. My brother says it [and] the coaches say it. So it's just something that we've got to take day by day.”
Asa’s connection to the city helped him discover his love for the game. Initially, in his elementary years, he only played rec-league ball before switching to football, soccer and swimming as a member of both the Athens Bulldogs Swim Club and Athens United.
“We were pretty rooted in the community,” Justin said. “My wife's mom worked in the president's office. [The boys] were always on campus doing something.”
When Asa was around 10 years old, the Newells moved to Destin, Florida. Between hooping in the driveway with his brother and getting shots up at his dad’s CrossFit gym, Asa knew that basketball was his calling. By the time he was in sixth grade, he tried out for his middle school team and made junior varsity thereafter.
From there, the vision was clear.
Asa’s biggest influences are Justin and Jaden, the latter of whom is going into his redshirt sophomore season with Georgia after earning a walk-on spot and contributing to the scout team two years ago.
Making Asa’s transition to college seamless, Jaden is not only a brother but a roommate, lunch buddy and somebody who answers questions daily.
“He's really a cheerleader in my life. I really appreciate him for that,” Asa said of Jaden. “He paved the way for me in this basketball journey. He took the hard hits first going to play for the middle school team and playing for Choctaw High School. He was the one who just created that path, you know, like a bike path. He was the first one taking all the hits, making the calls for me to help me be a better person.
“I have a special place in my heart for my brother 'cause seeing him so strong and being able to take the first punch for me throughout life and always being there for me helped motivate me every single day.”
Asa is extremely close with his tight-knit Christian family. Although his father and brother are admittedly his biggest influences, his mother, Carmen, and sister, Zoe, mean the world to him.
“I know that Jaden thrives more because Asa's on campus with him and vice-versa,” Justin said. “And now our daughter Zoe, she has her own journey, and all the focus is on her and we have a lot to give her. But she enjoys going out to Athens and when they come home and visit. They talk on the phone, and I can hear the boys give her advice. They just kinda talk to each other about what's going on in their lives and pick up where they left off. Really close relationship.”
“My sister Zoe, she's a hooper now,” Asa added with excitement. “She likes all types of things and she just recently switched over to basketball completely. She was a volleyball player and swimmer as well. She completely switched. I know my dad has been working with her every single day, so just seeing her doing something we all enjoy is just really nice to see.”
Asa is inspired by helping his loved ones get to a better spot. He’s seen his father work late nights and early mornings while his mother has been a backbone.
“I just really wanted to help provide for them,” Asa said. “They just help me so much. They're so precious to me 'cause I want it just as bad for me as I want it just as bad for them to have a better life.”
“I think people need to know that he's a high-character man,” Justin said. “His integrity, even when his parents aren't around or even when he goes by himself, he's staying up on his faith. He's keeping himself accountable to his foundation. I believe that's what drives him on the daily is his walk with God.”
Growing in size and stature, it didn’t take long for Asa to burst onto the scene and garner national attention in his freshman and sophomore years at Choctaw, earning Player of the Year honors from Northwest Florida Daily News in 2021-22.
That summer, Asa was selected by USA Basketball as a member of the U17 men’s team that featured future top-five NBA pick Ron Holland II. He competed in the FIBA World Cup and was a key member of the second unit, helping the Americans capture a gold medal in Malaga, Spain.
Carrying that momentum forward along with his success in AAU with 1Family, Asa transferred six hours southeast to play at Montverde Academy with the top prospects in the country.
For the next two years, he was teammates with Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, and Liam McNeely under the tutelage of head coach Kevin Boyle.
The Eagles went 24-3 and were a consensus top-five team in the nation in their first go-round together. As the top seed, they lost by one point to a Matas Buzelis-led Sunrise Christian Academy team in the quarterfinal rounds of the GEICO High School Nationals.
Asa followed up his junior campaign with another run with USA Basketball’s U19 team. Despite a fourth-place finish in Hungary, he was a focal point and started two games for the squad, averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.3 blocks in over 21 minutes per contest.
“Asa really thrives in that environment,” Justin said. “I just enjoyed watching him sort of elevate and play to the level that I feel like he's always been on. To do it for your country is a surreal opportunity.”
Going into his senior season at Montverde with a commitment to Georgia in October 2023, Asa made an even bigger leap. He became more efficient with a 68% clip while showcasing his impact on both ends, averaging 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
There was a clear-cut case for him to be named a McDonald’s All-American in January, but the selection committee picked Flagg, McNeely and Queen to represent Montverde. Due to a rule that has a three-player maximum allowed to be taken from one school, Asa was the odd man out.
Admittedly, despite being happy for his guys, it hurt him.
“I felt like being a McDonald's All-American was the pinnacle of my high school career, and I worked so hard for it. But I know God has a bigger and better plan for my life, so I'm just trusting that,” Asa said. “I think it's important that all players who are qualified get a chance to be a part of the McDonald's All-American Game. But no matter what school or team they're on, they should be able to participate.
“The three-player rule, I'm definitely an advocate of changing that rule and making sure younger players don't miss out on the opportunity. After that, I made a promise to myself, no matter how good I am that I should never put myself in that situation again. I just feel like every day, it's something I'll never forget. I don't want to ever experience that feeling again. So that's just something I take pride in. I allowed something that I felt like I couldn't live without (affect me), but I'm still breathing. So when adversity hits you, it's okay. Just keep on going. God has a plan for you, and ultimately, I feel like it's gonna help me in the long run.”
Overall, last season was the Eagles’ revenge tour, which included an 88-39 thumping of Sunrise Christian and a 79-63 title win over St. Paul VI at the 2024 Chipotle Nationals in April. They went a perfect 35-0.
Appreciative of the backing that Boyle gave him after the McDonald’s All-American snub, Asa owes a debt of gratitude to the coaching staff and teammates he had at the prestigious prep school.
“Playing for Montverde made the transition to college easier because I'm going against the top guys every single day, I'm playing against the top guys in the country,” Asa said. “We had six top-100 seniors on one team and were arguably one of the top-three, top-two best high school teams of all time. Just being a part of that was really special, and being able to go on to have an undefeated season and win a national championship under Coach Boyle and KBJ [Kevin Boyle Jr.] and all them boys.
“Coach Boyle really helped me with the IQ of my game, seeing the game, seeing the floor, having college-ready practices every single day. His thing was, shoot, the practices are harder than the game, so if you practice harder than you play, it's gonna make the game easier. When I had a game, I was like, 'Okay, we kinda get an off day,' almost thinking like it's not gonna be as draining as those practices were.”
This past offseason, Asa leveled up again.
Just a week after the championship victory, he and Flagg participated in the Nike Hoop Summit as a part of Team USA, notching a 98-75 win over Team World at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. He recorded a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double.
“Team USA, those are my guys. I love them boys so much,” Asa said. “Just being in the atmosphere and being in front of thousands of people and in front of NBA scouts and showcasing my ability and having a big game that I felt like, 'Okay, this is great for me.' Because even though I didn't get selected to the McDonald's All-American Game, I'm proving to everybody that I should've been in that game and a sense of relief of, 'Okay, I see how you're working God.' Having that chip on the shoulder going into it was great. [I] definitely want to play for Team USA across my chest again for sure.”
“I was so proud of him and the way he performed,” Justin said. “We were actually able to attend that game -- a lot of the USA stuff we weren't able to attend -- so that was really my first time watching him play live in a USA jersey.”
The following week, Asa was a Jordan Brand Classic All-Star Game standout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Team Air with Flagg and McNeely, competing against Queen and Team Flight. Asa scored 12 points, snagged eight rebounds and knocked down a pair of threes.
Just like that, he was playing in NBA arenas and impressing prominent decision-makers.
“It looked very natural to me for him to be on those courts,” Justin said. “I envision him there. I know he's gonna end up there God-willing. He seemed like he belonged there. I felt like the court was big enough for him.”
“It was just a sense of, 'Wow, I'm really here. All my work and dedication's paying off,'” Asa added. “Just having the slight taste of victory, trying to be there next year for sure and having that stance of, 'This is really happening.'”
"I've been intrigued by Asa Newell for years. His fluid athleticism and skill set at his size make his upside significant. At Montverde Academy, sharing the court with other top prospects, Cooper Flagg, in particular, might have slowed the hype train a bit, but it hasn't affected my excitement for his future. I watched Asa closely in high school, and my early scouting schedule this season will allow me to see him multiple times. My expectations for Asa are high, and I don't see him staying in a Bulldog uniform for long. However, this season will be a true proving ground for him, and I'll be watching closely." — Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst
As a communications major heading into his freshman year of college, it’s no surprise to hear what Asa’s off-court interests are.
He enjoys filmmaking and has a YouTube channel where he vlogs about anything from shoe reviews to vacations to birthdays. Justin wouldn’t be surprised if he got it back up and running again. According to his dad, the recently turned 19-year-old has also gotten into fishing recently.
Even with his hobbies, though, Justin knows how laser-focused Asa is on the task at hand when it comes to being his best at the sport he’s playing. Once a tall, skinny, frail kid, Asa has focused on his build with weight training.
While Georgia returns three starters, head coach Mike White will rely on several new faces as the program undergoes a cultural shift.
Two of his most imposing forces will be Asa and Overtime Elite’s Somto Cyril.
“He's an athletic freak of nature,” Asa said. “He does some things, I'm just like, 'Woah.' He should not be that tall and big, at that size, to be doing some of the things that he's doing.
“We need him. If we want to be good, Somto is a huge part of our defense and our offense and just having that addictive energy that he brings every single day. He's a guy who's gonna let you slack off. He does a lot of things really well, so I'm just really excited to play with him.”
Asa insists that he will take this experience day by day. On the court, the work has already begun.
In his first action at the collegiate level on Oct. 19, Asa scored a team-high 20 points in an 86-59 exhibition victory at Charlotte. Ten days later, in his debut at Stegeman Coliseum, he dropped 19 points, snagged seven rebounds and hit three triples as Georgia blew out UCF 114-76.
“I feel like my aggressiveness has definitely gone way up,” Asa said. “Being at Montverde was great, but there's only so much you can do. We were a fantastic team and everything was great, but we had other top players on the team, so everyone was sharing the ball. Now, we're still sharing the ball, but I feel like I have a more pivotal role at Georgia. So I just feel like my aggressiveness has gone up, [and] my IQ and my patience has gone up since being here.
“I just feel like being in the weight room with [strength-and-conditioning coach] (Collin) Crane and my pops getting me right has definitely helped me as well. I just feel like my overall demeanor has changed. I'm all grown up. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm able to have a great routine, getting in and out, having class and being in the gym, having two workouts a day, sometimes three, including practice. I just feel like I'm just growing as a person and as an individual.”
As a longtime fitness coach, Justin has identified strengths and weaknesses, helping individuals become the greatest versions of themselves. As done with Jaden and Zoe, he’s helped put Asa in the right situations to maximize his potential with his “God-given” talents – and he trusts his son to meet the moment the rest of the way.
“He has a way of leaving an impression for sure,” Justin said. “It's been a completely joyous ride.”