Stephon Castle Offers High Floor, High Ceiling in 2024 NBA Draft

UConn’s Stephon Castle would be a strong pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) is introduced before the national championship game of / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY

UConn guard Stephon Castle saw a different year than most were expecting.

Coming in as the No. 9 player per RSCI, most were expecting Castle to wow in the same way he did in high school: prolific scoring, adept ball-handling and flashy passing chops.

And while all of those things were sparingly on display at UConn, Castle instead turned into a super role player that helped the Huskies to their second national title in a row.

Averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, Castle morphed into a stingy defender, connective passer and high-efficiency slasher. Instead of operating primarily with the ball, he took high-efficiency shots off-ball and functioned as the glue holding the team together.

Castle’s lone season with the Huskies showcased his chameleon-esque ability to both raise the floor of a team and eventually blossom into more.

Castle likely won’t have the ball in his hands much in the NBA to start, which is similar to his career with UConn. For most players, that can be a tough adjustment, but his experience as a point-of-attack defender, spot up shooter and connective passer should do wonders for his rookie season.

As time goes on, Castle can of course showcase what made him a top prospect — strength creation, pick-and-roll offense and playmaking — all things that grant him a high ceiling.

Castle is far from a perfect prospect, there’s undoubtedly things he still needs to work on, shooting being at the forefront of that conversation. And while his season at UConn could be seen as a negative on his game overall, he'll almost certainly benefit from it come draft night 2024.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.