Newton returning to UConn

More leadership. More scoring. More playing off the ball. More triple-doubles.

And maybe one more national championship.

Tristen Newton feels he can bring all of that and more to the UConn men’s basketball team as he returns for a fifth and final season of college ball.

Newton, the starting point guard for the national-champion Huskies this past season, has removed his name from NBA Draft consideration, he announced on Wednesday.

“Coming back to UConn was an easy decision,” Newton said during a Zoom call with reporters. “I talked to my parents, family, I had an agent who helped me out with the whole thing.”

Newton was invited to the GLeague Elite Camp two weeks ago in Chicago and played well, scoring 14 points and knocking down 3 of 4 3-pointers in his second scrimmage. However, he wasn’t one of the eight players from the camp to be invited to the NBA combine later in the week in Chicago. His UConn teammates, Jordan Hawkins, Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. were all at the combine.

“I got some good feedback,” Newton said. “A couple of (NBA) teams guaranteed some things. But I just felt like coming back to UConn, playing another year, getting even better, it’s like an NBA facility and program. Just to come back for another year and try and play for another national championship was best for me at this time.”

Newton, a 6-foot-5 point guard, was third on the Huskies in scoring this season at 10.1 points per game. He shot 36.6 percent from 3point range, averaged 4.5 rebounds and led the team in assists (4.7) and steals (1.1). He scored a team-high 19 points in the national championship win over San Diego State and was named to the All-Final Four team.

“I am thrilled to coach Tristen for his final year of college basketball,” UConn coach Dan Hurley

Karen Warren/Staff photographer Tristen Newton announced on Wednesday that he is withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and will return to UConn for a fifth and final season.