SAN DIEGO – Sean Newman Jr., a guard who averaged 7.9 assists per game last season, ranking No. 3 in the nation, has signed an athletic aid agreement and will compete for San Diego State’s men’s basketball team in the 2025-26 season. Head men’s basketball coach Brian Dutcher made the announcement Thursday. Newman Jr. has one season of eligibility as he arrives on The Mesa.
“Sean was in the top three in assists in the nation last year,” head men’s basketball coach Brian Dutcher said. “With the team we have coming back, we felt that we needed a point guard that could make everybody around him better, and we think Sean is that player.”
Newman Jr., who graduated from Culver City (Calif.) High School, has competed at Louisiana Tech for the past two seasons and averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 31.5 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.
He has scored in double figures in 24 of his 59 college contests, including a career-high 27 points against Liberty on January 11, 2025, among 16 double-digit scoring games in 2024-25. In eight games, he dished out at least 10 assists, which includes a 20-assist effort against Rust College on December 21, 2024, and his team was 7-1 in those contests. He totaled at least five assists in 47 of his 59 games at LaTech.
Last year, as a senior and third-team All-Conference USA performer, he had his most productive college season, averaging 9.9 points, 7.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. He started in 30 of his 31 appearances and led the team in minutes (1,033), assists (245), and free throw percentage (83.8 percent), all career-highs. In addition, his 308 points, a career-best, ranked second on the Bulldogs as did his free throw (83) and free throw attempts (99). He led the squad in scoring in five games, rebounds once, and in assists 29 times.
As a junior, in Newman Jr.’s first year at Louisiana Tech, he appeared in 28 contests, which included 26 starts. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He paced the team in assists (146), leading the team in the stat 24 times, and free throw percentage (.768). After the season, he was named an honorable mention All-Conference USA performer and earned inclusion on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
In two years at Fullerton (Calif.) College (2021-22 and 2022-23) his team went 57-5, and following his sophomore campaign, was named Orange Empire Conference’s Most Valuable Player and an all-state selection. The Hornets, who finished on a 25-game win streak and were 32-1 overall, earned the Orange Empire Conference title and the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championship. They were led by Newman Jr., who in 33 appearances, all starts, averaged 13.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He shot 51.5 percent from the field, which included 22 double-digit scoring efforts, eight of which were of 20-plus points and twice totaled a season-best 29 points. In addition, he was 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 90.6 percent from the foul line.
As a freshman in 2021-22, he appeared in seven games, making five starts and the team was 6-1 when he played. He finished the season averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
In his senior campaign at Culver City High School, he averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game and was named Ocean League Most Valuable Player and was a nominee for that year’s McDonald’s All American Game.