# Tristen Newton

Tristen Jamal Newton (born April 26, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the East Carolina Pirates and the UConn Huskies.

## High school career

Newton played at Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, where his team routinely traveled great distances to play top teams in the large metro areas of Texas. Newton scored 3,266 points in high school and led the state in scoring as a senior at 37.2 points per game.

## College career

Newton found success at East Carolina, entering the starting lineup as a freshman and averaging 11 points and 3.7 assists per game. He set the Pirates' program record for assists in a season by a freshman. He improved for his next two seasons, culminating in a junior season where he averaged 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5 assists per game. He was named to the All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) second team at the close of the season.
Following the dismissal of his coach Joe Dooley after the 2021–22 season, Newton decided to transfer from East Carolina. He heard from over 30 schools after putting his name in the NCAA transfer portal, ultimately choosing the University of Connecticut (UConn), where coach Dan Hurley saw his playmaking as a missing piece for his Big East Conference team. Newton earned the starting point guard role and became the second player in program history to record two triple-doubles, joining Shabazz Napier. At the close of the season, Newton helped lead the Huskies to the sixth Final Four in school history and later, with a double-double, to UConn's fifth NCAA championship in 2023.
Newton returned to the program for the 2023–24 season after initially declaring for the 2023 NBA draft. During a game against Manhattan, Newton notched his third triple-double of his career with the Huskies, becoming the first player in program history to do so. He notched his fourth triple-double of his career against Villanova, becoming the first power conference player to have four or more triple-doubles since Shaquille O'Neal got six. In the NCAA tournament, he led the Huskies to back-to-back championships, was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the tournament, and became a member of the Huskies of Honor.

## Professional career
### Indiana Pacers / Mad Ants (2024–2025)

On June 27, 2024, Newton was selected with the 49th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA draft and on July 27, he signed a two-way contract with them. However, On January 1, 2025, he was waived by the Pacers.

### Minnesota Timberwolves / Iowa Wolves (2025–present)

On January 3, 2025, Newton was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Timberwolves, retaining his two-way contract status.

## Career statistics
### NBA
#### Regular season

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2024–25 | Indiana | 5 | 0 | 1.6 | .167 | .000 | 1.000 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .6 |
| Career | Career | 5 | 0 | 1.6 | .167 | .000 | 1.000 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .6 |

### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2019–20 | East Carolina | 31 | 19 | 29.9 | .390 | .324 | .802 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 1.2 | .3 | 11.0 |
| 2020–21 | East Carolina | 17 | 16 | 31.5 | .348 | .262 | .895 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .3 | 8.7 |
| 2021–22 | East Carolina | 30 | 30 | 34.8 | .435 | .333 | .879 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 1.4 | .3 | 17.7 |
| 2022–23 | UConn | 39 | 38 | 28.8 | .374 | .366 | .816 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 1.1 | .3 | 10.1 |
| 2023–24 | UConn | 40 | 40 | 33.2 | .415 | .321 | .808 | 6.6 | 6.2 | .9 | .3 | 15.1 |
| Career | Career | 157 | 143 | 31.6 | .402 | .327 | .831 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 1.2 | .3 | 12.8 |

## Personal life

Newton's older brother, Jawaun, played college basketball for the Evansville Purple Aces and Southern Illinois Salukis. He is a cousin of football players Aaron and Alvin Jones.