Sports
Athlete of the Week: Gregory Newton ’14
By Becca Hazlett '13, Sports Columnist
February 16, 2012
In their last home games of the season, the men’s basketball team battled hard for two big wins, helping them clinch a playoff spot for the upcoming NESCAC tournament. Both wins came with a big help from sophomore guard Greg Newton. In the 67-64 win against Tufts, Newton played 28 minutes and tallied eight points, two steals and six assists. During his 30 minutes on the court in the 72-62 win over Bates, he notched 14 points, a block, a steal, and he shot 4-4 from long range.
“He has been a great player for us all year. He has really stepped up in NESCAC play and has done a great job as one of the leaders of the team,” said teammate and fellow athlete of the week Pat Sullivan ’12. “It has been great playing alongside Greg for two years.”
Coach Adam Stockwell also had nothing but good things to say about the sophomore star.
“Greg has two things that separate him from many guards in our league. First he has great speed with the basketball in his hands and can get by 90 percent of the defenders that face him. Secondly, Greg is an extremely consistent shooter from 12-18 feet, which is not common,” said Stockwell, when asked what makes Newton such a successful basketball player. He continued: “Greg consistently gets to this distance and can score at a high level in this range. He has one of the best pull-up jump shots we have seen all year. Certainly, for him to go 4-4 from three against Bates on Sunday was a huge lift for our team on Senior Day.” These attributes, along with his strong defensive play, will only help the team in postseason play.
Greg started playing basketball at an organized level when he was in first grade, but his passion for the game started when he began playing with his brothers in their basement on a mini hoop. However, it wasn’t until he was a sophomore in high school when he realized that he wanted to play basketball at the collegiate level.
When asked why he decided to come to Hamilton, Greg said, “I valued the reputation of the school and knew the success of the program which made Hamilton automatically very attractive to me. When I visited, I really enjoyed the guys on the team and a persuasive phone call from Ephraim McDowell ’12 following the visit was what sold me.”
Much like any college athlete, Newton often turns to his family for inspiration and support.
“My parents have given up a lot so that I could achieve my goal of playing in college, and they still make it to nearly all of my games to support me,” he said. “Also, my brothers have always been the ones to motivate and push me; it kind of comes with the territory of having brothers.”
When he’s not on the court Newton enjoys watching his favorite teams: the New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics.
“Greg is very personable and easy going. He has a good sense of humor and enjoys being around the team a great deal,” said Stockwell of Newton off the court. “Greg is certainly developing into a leader for our team as a sophomore and hopefully will continue in this role, on and off the court.”