UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. — Craig "Niko" Newsome Jr. has signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Saginaw Valley State University. The Normal (Illinois) Community High School star will join Coach Randy Baruth's program beginning with the 2024-25 season.
Newsome will be listed on SVSU's roster as a 6'6" combo guard. During his senior season, the Bloomington native averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds per game. In the Illinois high school tournament this month, Newsome was a big factor when his NCHS Ironmen won a sectional championship on March 1.
Newsome was on SVSU's recruiting radar well before he made his campus visit in September.
"My visit to Saginaw Valley was amazing," Newsome said. "I immediately felt a connection with the coaches and players, and I won't forget how much I enjoyed attending a football game and spending time with my family on the campus."
SVSU emerged as Newsome's top choice over several other NCAA D1 and D2 schools that also pursued him. "The main things about SVSU that I like are the coaching staff, athletic facilities, and campus. The basketball arena, weight room, and players' locker room are beautiful, and the campus has everything you need. I heard from the players that the SVSU coaching staff makes sure you stay on task in class, and most importantly will be there for me when I need to talk to them – not just about basketball, but also anything outside of athletics and school. Saginaw Valley runs a fluid offense and plays tough man-to-man defense, and those are systems that I can thrive in."
Newsome's play during the spring/summer off-season drew recruiters to his games. Playing for MidPro Academy, he earned First Team honors on the NY2LA Association and was selected as Defensive MVP. For his senior year, he opted to play at Normal Community High. As a junior at Bloomington High School, he was named to the Illinois Associated Press Class 3A All-State (Honorable Mention) boys' basketball team (as voted on by a statewide panel of newspaper sports writers/editors and TV/radio broadcasters) and was a member of the All-Tournament teams (honorable mention) when he competed in the 2021 and 2022 Pontiac (Illinois) Holiday tournaments. Newsome is a 1,000-point career scorer and was a First Team pick by the Big 12 Conference in 2022 and 2023.
Baruth, who in 2024 completed his 12th year at SVSU, said, "We see Niko making an immediate impact because he is a two-way player who can score at the rim as well as shoot from the arc, and he loves the challenge of being a disruptor at the defensive end of the court. He is unselfish and blends his talents into the team concept, and when necessary, he has the skill and athletic ability to make a key play that will help his team win."
Newsome plans to major in kinesiology at SVSU, with a career goal in coaching and athletic training. He is the son of Corie and Craig Newsome Sr. Niko has two older sisters, Camryn Newsome and Chanel Newsome.
"Niko also comes from a wonderful family who fits our culture just as much as any player would," Baruth said. "They are committed, as are we, to making sure Niko has a great experience in college, ultimately winning championships while earning his college degree. There is no doubt that our fans and supporters will love Niko for his decision to become a Cardinal!"
Newsome will join a Cardinal program that returns two All-GLIAC honorees: guard Freddie McIntosh and forward Kevonne Taylor. SVSU will also have its leading scorer, Toodles Seal (18.5 ppg), returning in 2024-25.