NEW YORK – Stephon Castle is a San Antonio Spur.

As the fourth overall pick, Castle is the 16th lottery pick to come out of UConn and the third under Dan Hurley. He’s also the program’s sixth top-five selection all-time. Teammate Donovan Clingan is also projected to go in the lottery Wednesday night.

Castle will team up with 2023 No. 1 overall pick, 7-foot-4 French phenom Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio.

It was clear when Castle – Hurley’s first McDonald’s All-American recruit – stepped foot on campus that he’d adapt quickly to the college game and develop rapidly to the point where he was ready to leave as a one-and-done.

After a slow start to the year, a knee injury in the second game of the year that required a minor procedure and then a build-up until he was back in the starting lineup, Castle became one of the most effective two-way guards in the country.

He finished the year averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 26.9 minutes per game. During the NCAA Tournament, where he played a critical role in guarding some of the best offensive players in the nation, Castle stepped up for 12.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game. He locked down star scorers like Northwestern’s Boo Buie and Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. using his size as a bruising 6-foot-6, 215-pound guard.

A quiet and humble 19-year-old, Castle broke a Big East record for Freshman of the Week nominations, surpassing Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony as he received the honor 11 times on his way to the Big East Freshman of the Year award. He was also named to the NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team and the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

UConn won a program record 37-of-40 games, including a Big East record 18 in the conference, on its way to the 2024 national title.

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