The Connecticut Huskies are sending multiple players from their championship squad to the 2024 NBA Draft, headlined by star freshman point guard Stephon Castle. Castle was in consideration to be the No. 1 pick at one point, and he could be an instrumental piece for any team looking for its guard of the future.
Stephon Castle Draft Profile
Castle immediately became a key starter at UConn despite just arriving on campus, averaging 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He’s more of a scorer than a distributor, and his scoring is primarily due to him being able to use his size to attack the basket. Even though UConn was a well-rounded team with plenty of balance, Castle flashed some of his star power in a win over Alabama in the Final Four with 21 points and five rebounds. At 6-6, 215 pounds, Castle projects as a combo guard who could occasionally take on some wing minutes in certain lineups.
Strengths
Physicality and defense immediately stand out when watching Castle. He’s able to use his size well on both sides of the floor, particularly when getting to the basket. That’s why he shot 47% from the floor despite not having a consistent jump shot. Castle’s size also makes him a handful defensively, being able to hold his own against multiple positions. He projects well as an individual defender, although he had plenty of great supporting defenders at UConn to take some pressure off him. He should be able to anchor the perimeter, but will need some good wing defenders to really take the next step on that side of the floor.
Weaknesses
The most obvious weakness with Castle is his perimeter shot. He showed some flashes of being able to hit it from time to time, but was generally quite inconsistent from deep. Castle never had to showcase this ability at UConn, but he’s going to have to get there in the NBA to truly be a star point guard.
Player comparison: De’Aaron Fox
There are some old UConn guards like Richard Hamilton and Kemba Walker who both have some similarities to Castle. Hamilton’s shooting percentages were actually the opposite (he was a great three-point shooter) but he’s built similarly. Walker was an explosive player who never quite mastered the three-point shot until later in his career. He was definitely quicker than Castle and used his speed rather than his size. Fox is the best comparison as a player who excelled defensively while still being a bit of a work in progress offensively. Fox has come around as a shooter in the NBA, but remains below elite levels. That’s likely where Castle ends up.