Stephon Castle, 6-6 wing, Connecticut, No. 3
I completely understand the shooting concerns with Castle; they’re real. But where I’m at in this class is simple: It’s hard to find guys who have proven they can be a part of winning basketball. And throughout the course of Big East play as well as the NCAA Tournament, Castle showcased that better than any other guy in this class.
I’m not sure what more evaluators want him to do. Throughout the season, Castle consistently took on the toughest assignment on the perimeter and wing defensively for Connecticut, a top-five defense in the country, and found success. Need someone to chase potential first-rounder
Baylor Scheierman around screens? Castle can do it. Need someone to defend at the point of attack? Castle can do that. What about a big wing creator? Castle will do that, too, and shut off his water, just like he did in the Elite Eight against Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr.
Shannon came into that game averaging 27.2 points over his prior 15 games. Castle held him to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting. In the Final Four, he took on the
Mark Sears assignment at point guard. Sears scored 24 but only nine of those points came on Castle, and four of those nine came on heavily contested attempts that Sears maneuvered around or shot over the top of to make. He made life miserable for one of the best guards in the country this season and made him work for every bucket. Against
Purdue in the title game, Castle took long swaths of time on
Braden Smith, who only scored two points when being guarded by Castle.
If that’s all he did, he’d be worth a first-round pick. But Castle also was quite good on offense. He averaged 12.5 points, nearly six rebounds and three assists while posting a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He had 21 points in the Final Four against
Alabama and was the team’s best offensive player, then followed it up with 15 against Purdue. I thought he had a real case as Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, especially when accounting for the defensive job he did on Sears and Smith.
Castle has tremendous spatial awareness as an off-ball player, plus the ability to cover ground with long strides as an on-ball driver. He passes really well, and in high school, he showcased the ability to make whatever read you want from him out of ball screens. He’s not a lead guard, but he doesn’t have to be. At 6-foot-6 with reasonable length and a 215-pound frame, Castle has all the measurements you’re looking for out of a secondary ballhandler on the wing.
As I mentioned above, the jumper is a concern. Castle made just 26.7 percent of his 3s this season and has a bit of a hitch at the top of his mechanics. His footwork getting into shots is quite differentiated in a bad way, where sometimes he’ll take them off the hop, and other times, he’ll take a one-two step that results in a lean to the left. But he also has touch. He made nearly 76 percent of his free throws and hit a number of floaters this season.
The jumper is going to take time, but if it ever comes along at a reasonable level, he’s probably going to be a star. He’s an elite defender, an awesome processor of basketball and a real passer and playmaker with the frame and strength to finish around the rim. He has better ball skills and a better shooting base than someone like
Isaac Okoro, who went in the top five of the 2020 NBA Draft. He was also a more impactful defender than even Okoro was, and that’s saying a lot.
When I talk to teams, I get answers all over the map on Castle. Some executives and scouts will tell me he’s in the top five, as I have him listed. Others will say second half of the lottery. Even more, I’ll hear outside of the lottery in the 15-20 range by the occasional scout who really doesn’t buy the shot. Right now, I think I’d say his range is No. 3 to No. 13 or so, but I’m surprised Castle seems to have become this polarizing. Everyone on the team side asks for young players who impact winning and have upside. It’s hard to do more than what Castle did this season to prove that.
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