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Message: [QUOTE="HCCForever, post: 4298217, member: 8959"] The following is from The Athletic on "The Top 23 transfer portal commits and their fits:" [B]3. [URL='https://theathletic.com/player/college-basketball/connecticut-huskies-college-basketball/tristen-newton/']Tristen Newton[/URL] | 6-5 guard | junior | Transferred from East Carolina to Connecticut The Scout:[/B] Unquestionably one of the best offensive creators this year in the American Athletic Conference, Newton departs East Carolina following the changeover in head coach from Joe Dooley to Mike Schwartz. He averaged 17.7 points, five rebounds and five assists last year, possessing the ability to play both on and off the ball as a lead or secondary offensive creator. He’s still really thin, but he reads the floor and will be significantly helped by playing with better players around him than he had at East Carolina. He sees skip passes and high-level pick-and-roll reads. He makes live dribble passes from creative angles and plays unselfishly. He’s conscientious on defense and knows where he needs to be rotationally and helps generally despite his thin frame. But more than that, he’s twitchy but plays with great pace off the bounce. He can attack the basket and finish. As a shooter, he’s got a good set shot and looks more comfortable off the catch, although there is some real ability to hit pull-ups if he has time behind ball-screens. He has more touch than his 33.3 percent mark from 3 would indicate, but he does need to clean up that shot off the bounce. This is a no-doubter high-major guard who should immediately step in as a starter at a good location next year. There is a real chance he develops into an NBA player if he gets the jumper mechanics down consistently as opposed to the twisting shot he has right now. [B]The Fit:[/B] The Huskies had a real need in the backcourt for a lead guard following R.J. Cole’s decision to start his professional career. In Newton, they get arguably the best one available in the portal. Whereas Cole was a smaller floor-general type following two high-scoring years at Howard, Newton is more of a creative combo guard who can really score off of pull-ups, make high-level passing reads, and attack in transition. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Connecticut speed things up a bit more next year, led by Newton as well as athletic wings [URL='https://theathletic.com/player/college-basketball/connecticut-huskies-college-basketball/andre-jackson-sAgGeVyouIwtEAEr/']Andre Jackson[/URL] and [URL='https://theathletic.com/player/college-basketball/connecticut-huskies-college-basketball/jordan-hawkins/']Jordan Hawkins[/URL]. With that trio and [URL='https://theathletic.com/player/college-basketball/connecticut-huskies-college-basketball/adama-sanogo/']Adama Sanogo[/URL], the Huskies are now some transfer portal depth additions away from competing at the top of the Big East in 2023. [/QUOTE]

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