He is the best player in the NCAA Tournament. It doesn’t mean he’ll have an NBA future.
Newton, 24, found that out on draft night, when he was selected 49th overall out of 58 players. In two seasons, Newton, a 6-foot-5 guard, appeared in eight NBA games while playing mostly in the NBA’s minor league.
He added that “The NBA career and the college career, I think that’s two different — they don’t really go together anymore.”
Most Outstanding Player is one of hundreds of NBA data points that NBA teams use to evaluate prospects, from how they play on the court to how they behave. Indeed, two NBA team executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the draft process, said they are not even aware of past connections between award winners and solid NBA careers. They look at a strong performance in this tournament and especially the Final Four as a useful line on a player’s extensive CV but not the difference. On the other hand, struggling in this tournament would not be possible compared to a player who played well throughout the season, said the official.
When Ewing left Georgetown for the NBA in 1985 and was drafted by the New York Knicks, he was the definition of a college star. He led the Hoyas to three NCAA championship games in four seasons, winning once, and remains so closely associated with his college success, in fact, that this month AT&T featured him in two commercials that run throughout the NCAA tournament.
In 1985, however, the path to the NBA was much more limited than it was four decades later. With few exceptions, eligibility at the time required a player to be at least three years old in high school, and international players were generally required to be at least 21 years old. Of the 24 players taken in the first round that year, only three were internationals; last year, international players accounted for more than a third of the first round.
A record 135 foreign-born players were on NBA rosters earlier this season, most of whom never played collegiately. That means more competition for a few roster spots.
“When I was playing there were a few European boys who were in the league or from Africa with Hakeem and Dikembe. [Mutombo] and those guys. But now it’s a much bigger pot,” Ewing said.
And many outside players, he said, are “the cream of the crop” — like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who have combined to win the Most Valuable Player award in five of the past seven NBA seasons. They never played second in college.
It’s not that players are leaving college any worse than in past seasons, said a high-ranking NBA team official who helped oversee college scouting. Small players now have access to better technology, equipment and healthcare. But the difficulty of sticking in the NBA for even decorated college players has increased as eligibility rules have changed and, as a result, so have NBA teams’ draft preferences. As of 2006, draft-eligible prospects must be 19 years old and a year removed from high school.
“The thought is that you always get these little guys in you [NBA or G-League] The program and they don’t have to worry about school and you can really improve their bodies and games and make them better players,” said an NBA team official.” The old school mentality was ‘I just want players who are ready to win games,’ and that changed in the NBA. We spend more time developing the boys than winning with them.”
In theory, a young prospect comes with fewer bad habits and can play longer.
“I think they’re looking for really young guys,” said Walter Clayton Jr., who was 22 when he won the 2025 MVP with Florida. Clayton was drafted 18th overall and now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
