December 3, 2024
Newton has Giants women's basketball riding high heading into Dec. 5-7 Gilcrest Tournament
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
For Tyler Newton, basketball has always been his sanctuary.
"Ever since I was a kid, basketball was the one game that I could play every day, all day, and never get sick of it," said College of the Sequoias' first-season women's basketball coach. "Mom and dad didn't have to bug me to go practice. When my world was crazy, I'd just go grab a ball, go in the backyard and work on my game."
Newton has been working on his game, or his ability to teach and coach it, ever since those childhood days at his parents' home in Southern California.
And Newton's passion for basketball carried him literally around the world before landing in Visalia, where he has Sequoias top-ranked in the state heading into the 47th annual Gilcrest Tournament on Dec. 5-7 at Porter Field House.
"I obsess over this man," said Newton, whose Giants are off to an 8-0 start. "It's what I do. It's who I am. I feel I was put on this Earth to coach."
It's been an interesting journey to Sequoias for Newton, who didn't make the varsity team at John Burroughs High in Burbank until his senior season while undergoing growth spurts that saw him sprout from 6-foot-1 as a freshman to 6-9.
From there, Newton went the community college route, first playing at Antelope Valley in Lancaster before transferring to Shasta in Redding, where he was an All-State selection while leading the Knights to a 28-6 record in 2001-2002.
Newton was then recruited to Division I University of the Pacific in Stockton, helping the Tigers make consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.
It was during Newton's time at Pacific that he decided to make basketball his career.
"I was more of a cerebral player," Newton said. "I was a pretty good athlete. I was tall and stuff, but you know, a lot of times people were better athletes, or bigger or stronger. I had to use my brain to understand the game and the nuances of the game to be effective. And at UOP, I really fell in love with watching film and really breaking down parts of the game. And I knew as I progressed in my playing career that I wanted to stay involved in the game, whether it was training or coaching or something."
Newton played seven seasons professionally for teams based in Australia, Austria, France, Japan and the U.S. before getting his start in coaching with a two-year stint as an assistant to his former coach Kele Fitzhugh at Shasta.
His first head coaching opportunity came at Pleasant Valley High in Chico, leading the girls program to a 48-9 overall record with two league and two section championships in two seasons.
That success allowed Newton to make the jump to the community college ranks, taking over the women's team at Butte in 2017.
After two sub -.500 seasons to start his time at Butte, Newton turned the Roadrunners into one of the state's top programs. Over the past four seasons, Butte went 104-20 with four Golden Valley Conference titles, four Northern California Regional playoff appearances and three trips to the state's Elite Eight.
The Roadrunners went 30-2 last season while reaching the state semifinals.
"If I'm going to do something, I want to be the best," Newton said. "I have a long ways to go. I'm still learning every day. I've had some success, but my mindset of always wanting to get better helps me continue to grow as a coach."
And make no mistake, Newton's grand plan is for Sequoias to become the best community college women's basketball team in California. The Giants were perennial contenders under former coach Ray Alvarado, making seven trips to the Elite Eight in an eight-season stretch between 2015 and 2023, but the program's only state title came in 1987 under Tom Gilcrest
Newton is out to help hang another championship banner inside Porter Field House.
"I want a state championship," said Newton, whose 2023 Butte team was the state runner-up. "You know, we've been knocking on the door for the last three, four years, and we haven't been able to get over the hump.
"I know it's not going to be easy by any means. That's why every game we prepare like it's a state championship game. And whether we play the quote unquote good teams or the bad teams, whoever is in front of us is going to get the same effort every night."
Sequoias has already beaten teams ranked No. 2 (Orange Coast, two-time reigning state champion), No. 3 (Moorpark), No. 4 (Mt. San Antonio) and No. 6 (Glendale) in the state this season.
But Giants Athletic Director Brent Davis said it was more than Newton's on court success that made him an attractive hire.
"He has a great personality. He's great with young people," Davis said. "He has a track record of recruiting. He's a good teacher. He's had a variety of experiences. He's just the full package. (Newton and assistants Ward and Schneringer) are just phenomenal people. They're dedicated. We love to work with young people, and they are here to help young people get better. Even if we weren't No. 1 in the state and 8-0 and all that, we're just happy to have them. They are a great fit."
The Giants figure to see some more of the state's best during the Gilcrest Tournament, which features seven other teams with a combined 34-11 record in state No. 4 Mt. San Antonio (6-1), No.5 San Joaquin Delta (4-2), No. 7 Laney (4-1), No. 18 Chabot (5-1), Cerro Coso (7-1), Los Angeles Valley (3-2) and Butte (4-3).
Sequoias is set to open against Butte, which won the Gilcrest last season under Newton, at 7 p.m. Dec. 5.
If the Giants win, they would face the winner between L.A. Valley and Delta at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 in the semifinals.
The final is set for 4 p.m. Dec. 7.
"We try to go to the best tournaments in the state and we want to try and host one of the best tournaments in the state," Newton said. "I'm very honored to be able to represent COS and the Gilcrest because it's a very prestigious tournament. That's why we used to come here when we were at Butte. It's a good field of teams who present different challenges. I'm excited for the challenge and looking forward to it."
47TH ANNUAL GILCREST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
At Porter Field House
Dec. 5
1 p.m.: Chabot (5-1) vs. Laney (5-1)
3 p.m.: Cerro Coso (7-1) vs. Mt. San Antonio (6-1)
5 p.m.: Los Angeles Valley (3-2) vs. San Joaquin Delta (4-2)
7 p.m.: Butte (4-3) vs. Sequoias (8-0)
Dec. 6
1 p.m.: Consolation semifinal, Chabot-Laney loser vs. Cerro Coso-Mt. SAC loser
3 p.m.: Consolation semifinal: L.A. Valley-Delta loser vs. Butte-Sequoias loser
5 p.m.: Championship semifinal: Chabot-Laney winner vs. Cerro Coso-Mt. SAC winner
7 p.m.: Championship semifinal: L.A. Valley-Delta winner vs. Butte-Sequoias winner
3 p.m.: Consolation semifinal No. 1
Dec. 7
10 a.m.: Seventh-place game
Noon: Consolation championship
2 p.m.: Third-place game
4 p.m.: Championship
COS ATHLETICS
For Tyler Newton, basketball has always been his sanctuary.
"Ever since I was a kid, basketball was the one game that I could play every day, all day, and never get sick of it," said College of the Sequoias' first-season women's basketball coach. "Mom and dad didn't have to bug me to go practice. When my world was crazy, I'd just go grab a ball, go in the backyard and work on my game."
Newton has been working on his game, or his ability to teach and coach it, ever since those childhood days at his parents' home in Southern California.
And Newton's passion for basketball carried him literally around the world before landing in Visalia, where he has Sequoias top-ranked in the state heading into the 47th annual Gilcrest Tournament on Dec. 5-7 at Porter Field House.
"I obsess over this man," said Newton, whose Giants are off to an 8-0 start. "It's what I do. It's who I am. I feel I was put on this Earth to coach."
It's been an interesting journey to Sequoias for Newton, who didn't make the varsity team at John Burroughs High in Burbank until his senior season while undergoing growth spurts that saw him sprout from 6-foot-1 as a freshman to 6-9.
From there, Newton went the community college route, first playing at Antelope Valley in Lancaster before transferring to Shasta in Redding, where he was an All-State selection while leading the Knights to a 28-6 record in 2001-2002.
Newton was then recruited to Division I University of the Pacific in Stockton, helping the Tigers make consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.
It was during Newton's time at Pacific that he decided to make basketball his career.
"I was more of a cerebral player," Newton said. "I was a pretty good athlete. I was tall and stuff, but you know, a lot of times people were better athletes, or bigger or stronger. I had to use my brain to understand the game and the nuances of the game to be effective. And at UOP, I really fell in love with watching film and really breaking down parts of the game. And I knew as I progressed in my playing career that I wanted to stay involved in the game, whether it was training or coaching or something."
Newton played seven seasons professionally for teams based in Australia, Austria, France, Japan and the U.S. before getting his start in coaching with a two-year stint as an assistant to his former coach Kele Fitzhugh at Shasta.
His first head coaching opportunity came at Pleasant Valley High in Chico, leading the girls program to a 48-9 overall record with two league and two section championships in two seasons.
That success allowed Newton to make the jump to the community college ranks, taking over the women's team at Butte in 2017.
After two sub -.500 seasons to start his time at Butte, Newton turned the Roadrunners into one of the state's top programs. Over the past four seasons, Butte went 104-20 with four Golden Valley Conference titles, four Northern California Regional playoff appearances and three trips to the state's Elite Eight.
The Roadrunners went 30-2 last season while reaching the state semifinals.
"If I'm going to do something, I want to be the best," Newton said. "I have a long ways to go. I'm still learning every day. I've had some success, but my mindset of always wanting to get better helps me continue to grow as a coach."
And make no mistake, Newton's grand plan is for Sequoias to become the best community college women's basketball team in California. The Giants were perennial contenders under former coach Ray Alvarado, making seven trips to the Elite Eight in an eight-season stretch between 2015 and 2023, but the program's only state title came in 1987 under Tom Gilcrest
Newton is out to help hang another championship banner inside Porter Field House.
"I want a state championship," said Newton, whose 2023 Butte team was the state runner-up. "You know, we've been knocking on the door for the last three, four years, and we haven't been able to get over the hump.
"I know it's not going to be easy by any means. That's why every game we prepare like it's a state championship game. And whether we play the quote unquote good teams or the bad teams, whoever is in front of us is going to get the same effort every night."
Sequoias has already beaten teams ranked No. 2 (Orange Coast, two-time reigning state champion), No. 3 (Moorpark), No. 4 (Mt. San Antonio) and No. 6 (Glendale) in the state this season.
But Giants Athletic Director Brent Davis said it was more than Newton's on court success that made him an attractive hire.
"He has a great personality. He's great with young people," Davis said. "He has a track record of recruiting. He's a good teacher. He's had a variety of experiences. He's just the full package. (Newton and assistants Ward and Schneringer) are just phenomenal people. They're dedicated. We love to work with young people, and they are here to help young people get better. Even if we weren't No. 1 in the state and 8-0 and all that, we're just happy to have them. They are a great fit."
The Giants figure to see some more of the state's best during the Gilcrest Tournament, which features seven other teams with a combined 34-11 record in state No. 4 Mt. San Antonio (6-1), No.5 San Joaquin Delta (4-2), No. 7 Laney (4-1), No. 18 Chabot (5-1), Cerro Coso (7-1), Los Angeles Valley (3-2) and Butte (4-3).
Sequoias is set to open against Butte, which won the Gilcrest last season under Newton, at 7 p.m. Dec. 5.
If the Giants win, they would face the winner between L.A. Valley and Delta at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 in the semifinals.
The final is set for 4 p.m. Dec. 7.
"We try to go to the best tournaments in the state and we want to try and host one of the best tournaments in the state," Newton said. "I'm very honored to be able to represent COS and the Gilcrest because it's a very prestigious tournament. That's why we used to come here when we were at Butte. It's a good field of teams who present different challenges. I'm excited for the challenge and looking forward to it."
47TH ANNUAL GILCREST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
At Porter Field House
Dec. 5
1 p.m.: Chabot (5-1) vs. Laney (5-1)
3 p.m.: Cerro Coso (7-1) vs. Mt. San Antonio (6-1)
5 p.m.: Los Angeles Valley (3-2) vs. San Joaquin Delta (4-2)
7 p.m.: Butte (4-3) vs. Sequoias (8-0)
Dec. 6
1 p.m.: Consolation semifinal, Chabot-Laney loser vs. Cerro Coso-Mt. SAC loser
3 p.m.: Consolation semifinal: L.A. Valley-Delta loser vs. Butte-Sequoias loser
5 p.m.: Championship semifinal: Chabot-Laney winner vs. Cerro Coso-Mt. SAC winner
7 p.m.: Championship semifinal: L.A. Valley-Delta winner vs. Butte-Sequoias winner
3 p.m.: Consolation semifinal No. 1
Dec. 7
10 a.m.: Seventh-place game
Noon: Consolation championship
2 p.m.: Third-place game
4 p.m.: Championship
