ATHENS — Asa Newell is slamming his way to one of Georgia basketball’s great freshman seasons in dazzling fashion.
Georgia’s 19-year-old superstar will enter his third week of SEC action with 38 dunks on the season, the third most in the country.
Newell trails only two seniors from the Big 12 with 40 dunks each, meaning he leads the SEC and all Division I freshmen in the category.
A former 5-star recruit from high school powerhouse Montverde Academy, Newell is powering Georgia to be the top dunking team in the SEC, as well. The Bulldogs have totaled an SEC-leading 91 dunks this seaspm, according to barttokvik.com, and have the third-highest dunk percentage of field goals in the country (18.1).
Newell also leads Georgia with 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, setting the tone for a physical brand of basketball that has earned a 2-1 start in the SEC.
Newell’s team-leading performances in wins over No. 6 Kentucky and No. 17 Oklahoma last week earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the third time this season.
“In the motion of the game, my teammates trust me with the ball, and I make plays,” Newell said after the Kentucky win.
The 6-foot-11 forward’s size has been an obvious contributor to the dunk total, but Newell’s explosive speed and athletic ability also have helped him beat everyone to the rim on several steal-and-slams.
Newell aims to add to his total in No. 23 Georgia’s next game, at 8 p.m. Wednesday at No. 6 Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.
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