After trading down ten spots with the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of Wednesday night’s NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected 6-foot-9 Georgia forward Asa Newell with the 23rd pick.
Per his UGA bio, Newell was born in Destin, Florida to Justin and Carmen Newell. Even before he himself was a Bulldog, the University of Georgia was ever-present in his life. He spent six years of his childhood living in Athens, as his grandmother worked on campus at the university, assisting the President’s Office as well as Human Resources.
Some fans who aren’t familiar with Newell might be worried when they see the “one and done” label on him. His former head coach at UGA, Mike White, isn’t worried at all.
“He possesses a high level of work ethic, consistency, and humility,” White said to On3 after a win over Vanderbilt. “I hate to wear those words out all year with him, that’s just who he is. Every single day, he’s the same kid. He chases every rebound, and sits in a stance. There are no excuses. He takes coaching from staff, from his teammates. He’s about winning. I think there are a lot of potential pros out there, a lot of potential NCAA guys who are interested in winning and committed to individual accomplishments. He’s committed to both.”
That passion for the game and lack of ego could serve Newell well as he enters an Atlanta team with playoff aspirations and beyond.
Plenty to like about Asa Newell'f fit with Hawks
Looking ahead to Newell’s fit into the Hawks’ team, there’s a lot to like. During his time in Athens, he showcased strong finishing skills both above and around the rim.
“Where Asa Newell is crushing hearts and dreams for opponents on the offensive end is by the basket,” Rowan Kent wrote in a January post on the No Ceilings SubStack. “A whopping 166 of Newell’s 211 shot attempts have been two-pointers this year, with one coming on a jumper and just nine on runners. Between hook shots and rim attempts, Newell is surviving and thriving right at the basket due to the various ways that he’s simply better than most SEC defenders that he faces.”
Kent also noted that Newell isn’t just beating defenders with the volume of inside shots he takes. He’s making them at such a high rate that it’s one of his best qualities.
“No matter how Newell gets his rim attempts, he does it at an elite clip,” Kent wrote. “Per Synergy, Newell is shooting an elite 73.5% at the basket, which, admittedly, is buttressed by his penchant for dunking the basketball. He’s got 42 dunks on the season and has shown no sign of stopping any time soon.”
Newell comes from a winning culture, as well. He transferred to Montverde Academy prior to his junior year of high school. then stepped right onto a Georgia roster that earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2014-15. At Montverde, he starred for a program that produced four first-round picks in 2025 (Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Liam McNeeley, and Newell).