IU basketball recruiting: Hoosiers offer 2023 top-100 guard Jakai Newton

As was to be expected, Indiana continues to look to Georgia for prospects since the hiring of assistant coach Yasir Rosemond.

The latest player from that state to emerge on the IU radar is combo guard Jakai Newton, who the Hoosiers offered earlier this week.

Newton announced the offer on his Twitter page this week.

Blessed to receive an offer from Indiana University 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/ilDNZLwS6K

— Jakai Newton (@jakai_newton) June 23, 2021

Hailing from Covington, Georgia, Newton attends Newton High School. For travel basketball he runs with the Atlanta Express on the Under Armour Circuit.

The 6-foot-3 Newton was recently ranked No. 90 in the 2023 class by Rivals in the most expansive rankings for the incoming junior class thus far. On film he plays with a very aggressive style on both ends of the floor. The highly athletic Newton gets past his man off the bounce and can finish with authority. He also has an impressive looking jump shot, and he plays hard on defense.

After watching him play at an event over the weekend in Georgia, 247Sports national analyst Brandon Jenkins walked away impressed with Newton.

“2023 guard Jakai Newton is a player I am sure coaches will have an eye on next weekend and in July for the Under Armour Association live period events,” Jenkins wrote. “He has a strong build but plays above the rim off two feet and gets great lift on a nice-looking jumper.”

Rosemond was also at the Georgia event this weekend. Newton told The Daily Hoosier that Rosemond has had his eye on him since fall league play last year, but he is just starting to build a relationship with the new IU assistant coach. Rosemond talked about Newton on a podcast last fall before he was hired by IU, and he was particularly enthusiastic about how hard Newton played, and projected him at the time to be a high major prospect.

Newton is familiar with Mike Woodson’s NBA background, but he is otherwise just starting to learn about the staff and the program. Indiana plans to watch him play at the Under Armour events in July, including one in Westfield, Ind.

Newton could be tough to pull away from the SEC, and he has seen a wave of recent offers from that conference including Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia and Vanderbilt. He has also had interest from Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Missouri, and Arkansas.

For more Indiana prospects in 2023 and beyond, GO HERE.

Newton is No. 4 in the first video (AAU) and No. 0 in the second (school ball). Both videos are from the last two months.