Connecticut landed a commitment from a coveted Class of 2023 shooting guard Friday, when Stephon Castle announced his commitment to the Huskies live on CBS Sports HQ. Castle chose UConn over Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Ohio State. The four-star guard is considered the No. 27 overall player in his class by 247Sports.
Landing Castle gets UConn off to a strong start with the Class of 2023 and continues a strong recent run of recruiting success for UConn under fourth-year coach Dan Hurley. The program's 2022 class is ranked 31st nationally and third in the Big East, while its 2021 class ranked 10th nationally and second in the Big East.
"I could tell the culture there, the fans and how the players reacted with coach and how hard coaches pushes them, I could tell that's an environment I want to play in," Castle said.
The 6-foot-6 prospect from Covington, Georgia, visited UConn on Nov. 6, but there was no Crystal Ball prediction about his decision entering his announcement. He had also visited Auburn recently as well before cutting his list of finalists to six.
Brandon Jenkins, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, compared Castle to Oklahoma State wing Isaac Likekele in a July scouting report. Here is Jenkins' full evaluation:
Castle is a big guard that can make plays and run a team. He has a frame and skill-set that is very intriguing and translatable. Castle has broad shoulders and an upper body that is naturally strong. He plays downhill bully ball and his awareness on the offensive end is the most impressive part of his game. With outstanding size for his position, Castle is an excellent passer and does a good job of taking care of the ball and is a good decision maker. He moves the ball around well in the half court set and does a nice job of setting up teammates. Castle also is a solid athlete who can play above the rim. He thrives in transition where he has a knack for making the right play. He does more damage with his facilitating than he does with his scoring, however his overall versatility projects well as he is a powerful playmaker on the perimeter who is more than capable of guarding multiple positions with his size and athletic ability.
Castle is teammates at Newton High School with three-star Indiana commitment Jakai Newton, who is also in the Class of 2023.
