I believe his Dillard University team was 8-2 (Maybe 8-3) heading into the league's conference tournament. Obviously, much of the season was cancelled due to Covid. Then this happened and it does not appear Covid related, although I have been unable to find any more information about this-

New Orleans– It was announced today, Feb. 24, that Dillard's men's basketball team due to an administrative error will forfeit today's schedule home game against Philander Smith College and withdraw from this year's championship.

Like I said, the Dillard website gave no further explanation. Newell has certainly had a strange career ending up at an NAIA school that forfeits a tournament game due to an "administrative error".