A year after losing superstar forward Jayden Gardner to Virginia via the transfer portal and less than two weeks after Michael Schwartz succeeded the ousted Joe Dooley as head coach, the East Carolina basketball program got another jolt of change on Monday.
Guard Tristen Newton, the team’s leading scorer, announced via Twitter that he will enter the transfer portal and pursue the final two years of his college career elsewhere.
ECU, Thank you for welcoming me in with open arms. I want to thank my teammates and coaches because without you guys I’m no one! With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal for my last 2 years left of eligibility. Love forever Pirate Nation 🖤 pic.twitter.com/s53jbRVVQW
— Tristen Newton (@D1Tristen) March 28, 2022
The development comes a week after Newton’s older brother, Jawaun, a four-year player and double-figure scorer at Evansville, entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.
Tristen Newton will have no shortage of suitors. He averaged 17.4 points per game for the Pirates in 2021-22 and was named second team All-American Athletic Conference.
Juwaun Newton, who missed several games this past season with a knee injury, will also likely find a landing spot after scoring at a 12.7 clip for the Aces in 2021-22 and leading the team in rebounding. Evansville plays in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The timing of the brothers’ announcements has led some to speculate that they may market themselves as a package deal.
The brothers played their high school basketball in El Paso, TX.
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