ATHENS, Ga. - When Asa Newell committed to play at Georgia in October 2023, college basketball fans around the country might have wondered why the five-star prospect chose the Bulldogs over more established programs like Alabama, Gonzaga and Texas.
For Newell and his older brother Jaden, a sophomore forward, it was an opportunity to return to the campus that had been a cornerstone of their childhoods.
The Newells' late maternal grandmother, Jacqueline Mitchell, worked as an administrative assistant in the University of Georgia president's office for 15 years.