Coming into UConn as the No. 12 recruit, according to ESPN, Stephon Castle was expected to be an impactful player for the UConn men’s basketball team. Despite a minor knee injury in late November to early December, Castle has been helping the Huskies win games all season long in his starting lineup spot. However, the freshman star shined with a statement preformance in the Big East rivalry matchup between UConn and Providence last Wednesday. Castle dominated with a career-high 20 points, five rebounds (three offensive), and hard-nosed defense throughout the whole game, especially on Providence junior Devin Carter.
“Coming out party for him from an offensive standpoint and a defensive standpoint,” said Coach Dan Hurley following the 74-65 win. “Steph saved us tonight; Steph saved us.”
Castle was assigned to guard Carter for the night. By comparison, Castle is freshly 19 years old as of November of 2023 and has only played 15 games of college basketball. On the other end, Carter will be 22 next month and has played 83 collegiate games at two different high-level Division I programs. The ability of Castle to find an answer on both sides of the ball while defending one of Providence’s most effective players is impressive in itself.
“Steph Castle, he looked like, I’m not sure there’s a freshman in the country, both ends of the court, on the glass, that’s played as well as he’s played in this game tonight, in a man’s game,” Hurley said.
Castle’s offensive work in the paint has stood out. He can create lanes to the basket for hard drives of pull-up short jumpers. His long-range shooting has not been his strong suit this season, but early in the second half against Providence, Castle hit back-to-back three-point shots to take UConn from a 34-31 deficit to a 37-34 lead. Not to mention, Gampel Pavillion absolutely exploded with Castle’s offensive breakout. Castle’s three-point shot is starts to heat up after he’s made three out of his last five attempts. The Huskies never again lost the lead against the Friars, and credit is due to Castle.
“Steph came out in the early second half and helped us get that six- or seven-point lead, which we were able to keep for the rest of the second half,” said Huskies guard Cam Spencer. “That was our breakaway point. Steph was great on both sides of the ball tonight.”
Castle has star qualities beyond his basketball tackets, which, after the win over Providence, Coach Hurley was able to elaborate on in his press conference.
“The thing about this kid is, he’s not reading mock (NBA) drafts, he’s not huddling up with his agent, or NIL, or whatever that whole thing is,” Hurley explained. “He’s just got parents at home who tell him, ‘If your coaches tell you to screen, screen…if your coaches tell you to play the five, play the five .. or play the four..’ For a kid of his stature and pedigree coming in and the position that he’s in in terms of the prospect and everything… he’s just like doing whatever we ask him to do.”
Castle has been named Big East Freshman of the Week five times this season. If he can create a more effective three-point shot, he can make himself more of a threat to opposing teams and make the Huskies a so much harder team to defend as a whole. Castle has been a starter for UConn since the early parts of this season, but the spotlight is now fully on him. The Huskies have stars all around as the No. 1 team in the country for the third consecutive week, and there is no denying the fact of the matter. UConn has nine games left to play in the regular season, with postseason games to follow, and there is so much in store for the team and Castle individually. The more Castle shines, the more the Huskies will shine.
“As he’s learned more about how to play college basketball, get used to the physicality, understand the terminology, understand the different nuances of defense, offense … it’s like he’s still an emerging player, but he’s not acting like an entitled, five-star recruit who thinks the world revolves around him,” said Coach Hurley. “He wants to please UConn, and I think that’s beautiful.”