Stats: 15.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 40.5 percent FG, 30.7 percent 3P, 79.3 percent FT
Our next two vote-getters just barely missed landing on the first team, and — given their respective teams’ success — should have ample opportunities to get back there. But for the time being, let’s just celebrate the steadying force Newton has been this season for the reigning national champs. He’s cooled down some after a nuclear-hot start to the season — his 36-point, six-rebound, two-assist game vs. Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse remains one of the best individual performances we’ve seen — but for a UConn team that’s had guys in and out of the lineup, Newton’s consistency has been essential. Consider this: He leads the Huskies — who are third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency — in points, assists, and rebounds per game. (Yes, he grabs more boards than projected lottery pick Donovan Clingan, injuries aside. Wild.)
What he did at Villanova on Saturday is the perfect embodiment of his value this season: 25 points, including three 3-pointers, six rebounds, three assists — and clutch free throws at the end of the game to preserve a one-point conference road victory. He’s just a winner, and the Huskies will need more efforts like that out of him if they hope to become the first back-to-back national championships since Florida in 2007.
theathletic.com
