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Former Hoosier Jakai Newton Makes SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays

Now playing for Georgia State, Newton was part of the Indiana basketball program from 2023-25, but injuries limited him to just four games as a Hoosier.
Jack Ankony|
Indiana's Jakai Newton introduced during Hoosier Hysteria at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
Indiana's Jakai Newton introduced during Hoosier Hysteria at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

After dealing with adversity throughout his Indiana career, Jakai Newton is back on the court with a new team.

The former Hoosier transferred to Georgia State in the offseason, and on Wednesday he made a few notable plays in an exhibition game against the Georgia Bulldogs. As Georgia's Kareem Stagg rose for a dunk, Newton met him at the rim and rejected the attempt.

The big block earned Newton the No. 3 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. It also helped Georgia State stay competitive with an SEC foe in the exhibition, though they ultimately fell short in a 65-61 loss. In 15 minutes of action off the bench, Newton finished with five points (2-for-7 FG, 1-for-4 3pt FG), one rebound and one assist.

Jakai Newton works his way back

Newton came to Indiana as part of former head coach Mike Woodson's 2023 recruiting class, which included fellow incoming freshmen Mackenzie Mgbako and Gabe Cupps, along with transfers Kel'el Ware, Anthony Walker and Payton Sparks. Newton, a 6-foot-3 guard, was rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 118 player in the country out of Covington, Ga.

But due to a knee injury suffered during his senior year at Newton High School, Newton's Indiana career came with obstacles from the beginning. He missed the entire 2023-24 season, but maintained four years of eligibility by taking a redshirt year.

Going into the 2024-25 season, a hamstring injury and an unspecified lower body injury that required surgery limited Newton to just four games. In 18 total minutes of action that season, he scored six points on 3-for-6 shooting with three rebounds and one steal.

If Newton can stay healthy, there's reason to believe he could carve out a productive college career. He came to Indiana heralded as a strong and fast combo guard whose athleticism made him a threat on both offense and defense. Woodson always saw promise in Newton, but injuries held him back from showing that in a large sample size of game action.

"He's probably the best explosive athlete on our team in terms of playing above the rim," Woodson said in October of 2024. "It's scary how good he is in that regard, but we just gotta get him back fully healthy and he's not there yet."

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony has been covering IU basketball and football with “Indiana Hoosiers on SI” since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism.

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