Stephon Castle knows how to make a first impression.
The big, steady-minded guard burst onto the college scene at UConn, helping the Huskies dominate their way through the Big East and the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. His status as Big East Freshman of the Year was unquestioned.
UConn’s first one-and-done freshman since Andre Drummond in 2012, Castle was picked fourth overall and quickly asserted himself on the NBA floor with the San Antonio Spurs, who brought in future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to help mentor their new point guard. Castle’s first year exceeded expectations as he played in 81 games, started 47, and averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. After Victor Wembanyama, 2024’s top rookie, and De’Aaron Fox went down with season-ending injuries, Castle saw his production ramp up and averaged 19.5 points per game in March and 18.9 in April.
At season’s end, the former Husky established himself as the clear favorite for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, which he received Tuesday night on TNT.
“Coming in with all the confidence that I have in myself as a player, (winning rookie of the year) was definitely a goal of mine from Day One,” Castle said on the TNT broadcast in response to a question from Shaquille O’Neal. “I’m just happy I was able to execute it.”
Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick of the Atlanta Hawks, and Jaylen Wells, the 29th overall pick of the Memphis Grizzlies, were also named finalists for the award. Castle received 92 first-place votes to Risacher’s five and Wells’ three.
Castle is the second former UConn star to win the award, joining Emeka Okafor, who won the award in 2005 a year after leading the Huskies to the 2004 national championship.
After going 37-3 and winning his own national title at UConn, Castle finished his first season in San Antonio with a 34-48 record and missed the playoffs.
“We had great vets on our team that have seen really, every level of basketball, so just taking every game as a lesson. Whether we win or lose, I’m trying to get better from it so just having my teammates encouraging me, uplifting me, supporting me after every game, that’s really what got me through all that,” Castle said.
The Covington, Georgia, native finished the season leading all rookies in points and steals; he was third in assists and 12th in rebounds per game. Castle led all rookies with 10 games of at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists this season, producing six of those in the last month alone.
Starring on a national stage during All-Star Weekend, Castle was named MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge and participated in the dunk contest, where he put on a show but finished second to Mac McClung. The highlight-reel dunks were a rarity at UConn but became a fairly regular occurrence in the Association, where the high-flying rookie produced a number of poster-worthy slams.
A different kind of five-star: UConn’s Stephon Castle gets his humility from home
But as much as his star grew, Castle remained the steady, humble personality he was at UConn. It stemmed from the way he was raised by parents Stacey and Quannette Castle, who Dan Hurley consistently raved about and established themselves as beloved figures amongst the Huskies’ fanbase.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s a rookie,” teammate Blake Wesley said in early April, echoing comments from other teammates and stars around the league all season long. Anthony Edwards said “his potential is scary” during All-Star Weekend. “He’s gonna be special,” Lebron James said previously. “It’s always great to see young talent come into our league and make an impact right away.”
James’ comments came after a 20-point performance from Castle against the Lakers in November, before he received his first of two NBA Rookie of the Month awards.
“I think he’s doing a great job. One thing we’ve been very even-keeled on is not playing up or down, no matter what is going on in our crazy season,” Spurs’ interim head coach Mitch Johnson said earlier this month. “He’ll be a dynamic force to be reckoned with.”
Originally Published: April 29, 2025 at 7:08 PM EDT
