It's Not Too Late - Get a 1-in-12 chance to win up to $1,600 with Fantasy Basketball Premium Games

Overview

Possibly one of the best-kept secrets on the International scene, Newley displays the scoring touch few guards outside the United States have shown, especially when he parks along the perimeter.

The National Basketball League's 2005 Rookie of the Year, he has received numerous honors since beginning his hoops career.

Newley received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sports (2003-04). He played for Forestville in the Central ABL (ABA) and was a member of the Australian Emus (U/20) team and won a gold medal at the World Championships for Junior Men in Greece in 2003.

Newley won the Bob Staunton Medal as the MVP of the 2004 Under 20 Junior National Championship. He was also selected for the Crocs Australian Young Men's (U/22) national team tour of Europe in 2004 and then joined the Townsville Crocodiles in October 2004, earning NBL Rookie of the Year and Best Sixth Man honors.

Newley was selected to start for the 2005 NBL All-Star Game, despite not even starting for his team. He won the match MVP award after scoring 35 points (on 14 of 26 shooting), and adding four rebounds and seven assists. For the regular season, he appeared in 32 games, scoring 508 points (15.9 per game) while shooting .524 from the field. He added 102 rebounds (3.2 per game) and 63 assists while also coming up with 27 steals and 19 blocked shots playing behind NBL legend, John Rillie.

In 2005-06, Newley played in 32 games, piling up 617 points (19.3 ppg) while making .704 percent of his shots from the charity stripe. He was credited with 137 assists, 33 steals and 30 blocked shots. 45 of his 163 rebounds came off the offensive glass (5.1 rpg), but also had 163 turnovers (3.4 pg).

Newley had a banner season in 2006-07, elevating his scoring game, as he totaled a career-high 740 points (22.4 per game, fourth in the NBL) on .451 shooting from the field and .770 from the free-throw line. He grabbed 178 rebounds (5.4 rpg), had 106 assists (3.2 apg), 41 steals and 27 blocks. Ball-security issues continued, as he had a career-high 178 turnovers (3.6 pg).

In 97 games over the last three seasons, Newley scored 1,865 points on 659 of 1,417 field goals (.465), including 211 of 560 from 3-point range (.377) and hit 336 of 466 free throws (.721). He grabbed 443 rebounds (4.6 rpg), including 124 from the offensive glass. He doled out 306 assists (3.2 apg) with 101 steals (1.0 spg) and 76 blocked shots (0.8 bpg). He also had 443 turnovers (2.9 tpg).

Scouting Report

Positives: : Has a long wingspan for a shooting guard with good court quickness and lateral agility...When he gets into a scoring rhythm along the perimeter, he is nearly unstoppable, even with a defender in his face (gets good elevation on his release)...Very good at creating his own shot along the perimeter and his quickness can surprise a lethargic defender on the way to slashing to the basket...Needs to improve his strength, but does a nice job of drawing contact on the way to the basketball and uses his length well to dunk the ball when attacking the rim...Consistent finisher in transition and has improved his scoring touch from the free-throw line...More comfortable at the as a "two" guard, but shows decent passing ability to the open outlet to also earn some minutes at point guard...Can score off the dribble and has developed a nice fade-away jumper...Demonstrates fluid mechanics that consistently let him get his shots up and over taller opponents...Attacks the lanes with a vengeance and can stay in the air for a long time, drawing contact along the way...Shows the court vision to feed the ball to his teammates and even though he gives up considerable bulk, he's had good success slipping past the defender to secure the rebound (better on the offensive boards)...Times his leaps well to come down with the ball or get up to put it back at its high point...Patient player who lets the action come to him rather than try to force the issue...Does a nice job of getting to the basket after being fed the ball off screens...Will sacrifice his body to chase after loose balls...Uses his reach and keeps his arms active in attempts to steal the ball or alter shots when applying pressure defense...Sets his feet well when pulling up to uncork his mid-range jumper...Crowd pleaser with his aggressiveness going to the rim, whether on the break or by going over the opponent...Shows good shooting form firing from behind the arc, demonstrating that sudden release and elevation connecting from the outside...Is not only quick, but is also elusive, displaying an array of pump fakes, hesitation moves and the ability to vary his speed, forcing the defender to over-commit...Has solid overall defensive skills and will not hesitate to draw a charge.

Negatives: : Needs to add some bulk to his frame and also must drastically improve his overall strength (benchpresses 185 pounds only three times)...Right-hand dominant, but needs to improve his scoring touch with his left hand, as defenders can usually predict his path to the basket (struggles to finish from his weak side, as he will generally pull up rather than keep driving to the rim)...Has improved last year, but needs to do a better job of maintaining concentration at the free-throw line...Is more quick than fast and will struggle to cover the speedier NBA guards on the fast break...Will play shooting guard in the NBA due to his lack of size, but will need time to adjust after playing on the wing as a small forward for most of his Australian career...Good perimeter defender, but must show the same patience when guarding in the passing lanes (draws most of his fouls there due to over-aggression)...Is developing adequate passing skills, but still plays with that mentality that he must shoot first, shoot second and then look to feed the ball out when all else fails...Gets into lots of foul trouble when he tries to force his shots when in the hole.

Compares to: : RICHARD HAMILTON, Detroit. Like Hamilton, Newley is a dangerous perimeter shooter, but also shows good aggression attacking the basket. He is more quick than fast, but has had good success playing the Australian style of open-court action. He is still working on his passing skills and his defensive ability in the paint leaves a lot to be desired. He played more on the wing in Australia, but he lacks the size to play that position at the NBA level. He will need a year or so in the weight room, as his overall strength is sorely lacking. While he can score in bunches, he is a predictable shooter, spending most of his time firing the ball with his right hand. He will go to the hole and shoot from the right side, but it is evident that his left hand is very weak and he will only resort to shooting from the weak side as a last resort. Still, for a few minutes here and there, he could put some points on the board coming off the bench.

Orlando Pre-draft Camp Measurements:

6-8 Wingspan...8-6 1/2 Standing Reach...8 percent Body Fat...31 1/2-inch Vertical Leap...185-pound benchpress: Three reps...11.77 Lane Agility...3.29 Court Sprint (3/4).

Personal:

Born 2/18/85 in Lower Mitcham, South Australia.