Castlevania: A Non-Linear Path to Stardom
UConn's Stephon Castle came to Storrs with high expectations. Has he leveled up his game as a freshman? What parts of his game could he further explore to reach a new height to his game?
Basketball, like anything else, is constantly changing. As the game changes, so does the terminology used to understand the game at the highest level. Phrases like “3-and-D,” “switchable defender,” and “connector,” amongst dozens of others, have nestled firmly into the basketball lexicon and become necessary terms to know if you want to know ball.
Video games, like basketball, have their rotating door of needed terms to know, but a specific subgenre of the game has started to matter more and more in the market. The term “Metroidvania,” coined after games such as Castlevania, Metroid, and other side-scrollers, has evolved into a marquee genre in all gaming.
What does this have to do with scouting or basketball? Stay with me. A “Metroidvania” game, to grossly oversimplify, is an exercise in exploration and backtracking. Players journey through comprehensive, mostly hidden maps, slowly gain an inventory, and then return to previous areas to unlock new previously blocked pathways.
It’s a formula that sounds repetitive but encourages curiosity and patience when playing. Few feelings are better in these games than finally acquiring the tool that can open up a massive new chunk of the map and lead you down exciting new roads.
So, again, what does that have to do with scouting NBA draft prospects? In some ways, the act of scouting itself can fit loosely under the “Metroidvania” label. To fully understand a prospect, you need to watch them early, dig into stats, and then double back to watch them again (and again and again…) to fully decipher their skill, just like these games.
There’s a particular prospect in the 2024 draft class who, besides a clever name pun, has a peculiar correlation to the idea of repeated exploration. That’s Stephon Castle, UConn’s enigmatic freshman guard, whose time in Storrs has been more of a slow burn than an immediate sizzle.
To dive deep into Castle’s game, I went to the film, the stats, and the titles of past Castlevania games for each section name, and then I went back to the tape to learn more. Ultimately, the more I watched Stephon Castle, the more I saw the untapped star potential that could reveal itself if he levels up his game and adds some new tools.
Bloodlines: Castle’s Background
Before we begin, here’s the background on Stephon Castle. Coming into this season, Castle had carved out a hefty reputation as a superstar high school prospect. He was coming off of a stellar senior season at his hometown school of Newton, had a host of blue-blood offers for college, and had played on past USA Basketball teams.
The expectations for Castle at Connecticut, for good reason, were high. While the Huskies had dominantly won the 2023 NCAA title, they weren’t well-positioned to run back their roster and repeat. The team needed to fill the massive shoes of Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson Jr., and Adama Sanogo, who are now on NBA rosters.
A few parts fell into place when Donovan Clingan returned for his sophomore season, and Cam Spencer chose to join the Huskies, but Castle was the crown jewel of Danny Hurley’s recruiting class. While he wasn’t expected to play the same role that he had at Newton, Castle was still in line to be a significant determinant of UConn’s season outcome.
It’s essential to consider the change in roles that Castle has executed so well at the college level. At Newton, Castle was a massive point guard who dominated possession and generated a large chunk of the team’s offense. Plays that didn’t heavily involve him were few and far between. At UConn, however, Castle’s role has been much different.
Although Castle is one of UConn’s primary ball handlers, he doesn’t have nearly the same direct usage. Cam Spencer and Tristan Newton demand and deserve the ball to make the team successful. At the same time, Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan, Hassan Diarra, and Samson Johnson are all worthy play-finishers who need the ball in different spots on the floor.
It didn’t help that Castle suffered a relatively minor right knee injury just a few games into his Husky career. While he was able to return in about a month, it added a layer of difficulty for Castle’s adjustment to the college game to disrupt his early chances to develop a rhythm in the non-conference slate. It was like playing his college career on hard mode in many ways.
While he hasn’t put up the stats that usually justify a top-tier lottery player, when you sift through the numbers and parse through the film, it’s clear that Stephon Castle is both a star in his role right now and could be an even bigger star (like he was at Newton) if he develops a few key areas of his game.
Portrait of Ruin: Castle’s Defense
The best place to start with Castle’s star upside is why he has such a high floor. Despite not having the ball in his hands as much as he did at Newton, it’s been hard for Danny Hurley to justify taking Castle off the floor much since his return from injury due to how good of a defender he’s been as a freshman.
Standing at a stout 6’6” and 215 pounds, Castle has the size of a wing and the dexterity of a guard. He’s quick on his feet in all directions, doesn’t get off balance when opponents hit him with dribble moves, and beats players to their spots before they can blink.
As an on-ball defender, Castle’s shown the key traits that will make him an impact defender at the next level once he adjusts to the jump in athleticism. It’s already tricky for opposing ball-handlers to get around him, as Posh Alexander and Desmond Claude, amongst many others, have learned with him as a point-of-attack defender. I highlighted those two as Castle’s defense went a long way toward ruining their nights across a few Big East contests this year.
The through line for Castle’s great on-ball defense is his stance. He stays low, doesn’t get forced out of his slides and shuffles, and often works to mirror players as they attack the basket. On the rare occasions that a player beats him quickly, Castle also has the length and timing to recover and contest shots at the rim or mid-range.
Another aspect that makes Castle sticky on-ball is that he is already a solid screen navigator. It’s an underrated skill in a defender’s inventory to be able to dart and dash around all manner of nasty picks. Still, Castle brings a combination of strength and slithers that lets him clog up the purported space of screens and gunk up opposing pick plays.
It’s a testament to Castle’s mentality and capability that he’s been tasked as a true freshman to be the primary perimeter stopper for UConn and that he’s crushing it in that role. Given his mix of size and spryness when guarding opposing guards and wings, it makes it easy to project him as an eventual plus defender at the NBA level.
Castle’s not just a point-of-attack monster; he’s also an off-ball weapon that tightly winds the seams of UConn’s defense. He has quick reflexes to stop plays as they happen but also has impressive processing speed reading offenses when off of the ball and has the athletic tools to prevent actions in their tracks.
It happens infrequently, but Castle has shown a solid affinity for weakside contests and tough rebounds. I wouldn’t call him a standout vertical athlete, but he’s savvy. Castle goes completely vertical without looming arms on his contests and crashes in like a meteor on either end of the glass, which helps secure possessions and extend them on the other.
Castle has two crucial strengths as an off-ball defender on the wing. The first is his lateral quickness and discipline on ball denials and closeouts. It’s unreasonable and risky to play denial defense all game.
Still, in spurts, Castle’s fast feet and long reach can engulf his cover and make it impossible for teams to get the ball to their primary initiator safely. Similarly, an overzealous closeout can cripple a good defensive possession, but Castle’s contests are controlled and timed to disrupt seemingly-open attempts from deep.
However, the most scalable piece for Castle off-ball is his fluid ability to switch on the perimeter. UConn often doubles or hedges on ball screen actions, but off-ball screens are commonly switched between Castle, Spencer, Newton, and Diarra. No matter what sorts of double drags, nudges, or cuts he faces away from the action, Castle has the quickness and awareness to pick up the right man and not blow in a hole in the Huskies’ perimeter defense.
It would be one thing if Castle were only an on-ball menace or an off-ball glue guy. Instead, finding many holes in his game at the college level takes a lot of work. That’s rare, especially for a freshman guard who does so much on the other end of the floor in his minutes.
Sure, there are times when he gets blown by, or guards hit jumpers over him, but that’s just part of the game. The discipline, tools, and acumen that Castle has on the defensive end already give him a dangerous piece in his arsenal to crack open the door to eventual NBA stardom.
Dawn of Sorrow: Castle’s Finishing
Castle’s not just a great defender, however. He has to carry that load on almost every possession in a game and then come right back up the court to handle the ball. While he doesn’t finish as many plays as he did at Newton, Castle often has the ball in his hands and has shown some real promise attacking the rim.
Per Synergy, Castle is fifth on the Huskies in points per game and is just about tied with Donovan Clingan at fourth in field goal attempts per game. Castle is taking 4.5 of his 8.1 shots per game at the rim in his shot diet. Castle’s shooting 59.2% at the rim on the season, ranking as “Good” in that area, which speaks to his dogged desire to get downhill and do damage.
These rim attempts have come from various play types, all of which are strengths for Castle. In transition, there’s little opponents can do to keep up with or stop Castle, as he runs the floor at every chance and utilizes a significant change of pace to his steps alongside his core strength to get easy looks.
He’s also a heady cutter, utilizing his lateral quickness and fast processing to dart into the lane off of other actions. Just like in transition, when Castle puts his mind to it, there’s little that an opposing defender can do other than get out of the way or bounce off of Castle.
Castle’s processing of the game also comes out in his putback attempts and hustle plays for the ball. Although it isn’t a large part of his shot profile, Castle averages 1.7 offensive rebounds per contest while shooting 64.3% on his putbacks and getting fouled on 17.6% of those, which speaks to his nosy nature at the rim.
When attacking a set defense out of a spot-up or face-up situation, Castle puts together much of what makes him an appealing offensive player. His strength and first step are a deadly combination that lets him feast in the lane, but he’s also patient about when he wants to attack the rim in the halfcourt setting.
Castle isn’t a complete driver right now, but the further he gets from his knee injury, the closer he looks to the driver he was at Newton. He threw down a few great dunks at the high school level and showed a bit more bounce than he’s had a chance at UConn, but in recent games, that’s started to change.
I wouldn’t call Castle a standout vertical athlete; that deservedly goes to skywalkers like Coen Carr, Anthony Edwards, and Gerald Green, to name a few. Instead, Castle’s an above-average leaper at this stage in his career, with room to get even better.
He’s already slammed eleven dunks in Big East play, primarily off of lobs and cuts to the basket, but Castle’s also started to attempt jams in the half-court setting. He missed a particular one against Georgetown that would’ve easily earned a SportsCenter Top 10 ranking that week. Still, it indicates his increased confidence in his body and the type of verticality he might have at his disposal.
We’ll return to this section later, as a good “Metroidvania” does, but the outlook is good in looking at what Castle can do now as an attacker. He finishes nicely at the rim, doesn’t stop attacking, and has many play types to get there, all of which are good indicators of his future success in that category.
Lord of Shadow: Castle’s Passing
Though it’s not the same as when he was at Newton, Castle’s gotten his fair share of possessions where he’s dictated the action, it would’ve been coaching malpractice for Danny Hurley not to have let Castle cook as a passer in the same ways he did in high school, and so far, Castle’s backed up his coach’s confidence.
Castle has 66 total assists to 33 turnovers on the season, suitable for a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio. None of these numbers rank in the Top 25 in NCAA freshmen, but Castle’s compromised his counting stats in many ways to beget the team’s success.
When looking at the film and not just the numbers, the breadth of different reads and passes that Castle has in his bag is stark. Intuitively, it makes sense: he’s been a primary ball-handler for most of his youth career due to his excellent ability to read the floor. Still, when stacking up all of the different flicks and tricks at his disposal, I’d consider Castle a bit underrated as a passer in his draft class.
Castle can make all of the primary reads in transition or the halfcourt. He’s not just going through the motions with these looks, however, as he’s putting the right pace on his passes and getting it into the shooter’s pocket from various actions.
I’m starting to sound like a broken record about Castle’s quick processing, but it’s apparent in his passing, too. He doesn’t let the ball stick in his hands despite his many possessions getting UConn into their sets. He’ll give the ball up, get it later in the play, and make the right pass in the blink of an eye before the defense can even notice the read that he did.
Castle also excels at two types of touch passes: the lob and the skip pass. Each requires something different when it comes to pace and placement, but whether at a standstill or a breakneck speed on a drive, Castle hits both in just the right way. Sure, it’s easier with massive targets like Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson, but being a burgeoning lob artist is a vital tool to any primary ball-handler’s bag.
For skip passes, Castle puts just enough to zip on his looks to avoid getting tipped but not too much to blast through his intended targets. He’s especially adept at reading an already-bent defense and throwing a pass to a waiting shooter that drives the last nail into their defensive coffin.
The difference between a good passer and a great one comes in more than just taking what the defense gives you. The best passers in the NBA don’t just wait for looks to open up; they use their eyes, bodies, and touch with the ball to make them themselves. I’m not saying Castle is there yet, but he shows enough already with his passing ability to make it a natural avenue of advantage creation.
The more you watch Castle, the more you notice his deliberate decisions as a passer. He uses his body and eyes to freeze defenses for one second to free up an open shot. This passing makes UConn so dangerous, as Castle, Newton, and Spencer are all capable ball-handlers who can create for themselves and others.
As a recurring theme, Stephon Castle has had to par down his game a few notches as he’s fit in with the team concept. It’s a good sign that it’s worked so well for the Huskies and that Castle looks like a superb passer who could unlock even more of his game if he got the reps as other primary creation prospects in this draft.
Harmony of Dissonance: Castle’s Shooting
If you’re looking for the one skill for Castle that’s most similar to being stuck without the right tool in “Metroidvania,” it’s shooting. In some ways, shooting is the ultimate swing skill for any basketball player, as it can compensate for gaps in athleticism, processing, and natural talent.
It’s worth digging deep into Castle’s jump shot to see exactly what goes into his motion. No matter where he catches the ball, Castle starts his shot with a slight dip, which slows down his release. He gets a good amount of lift with his lower body, although there’s a slight hitch in the up-and-down nature of his stroke. It’s not a fluid jumper and takes longer than you’d ideally like for a jump shooter.
The numbers this year bear out those same slight issues. Across the 63 jumpers he’s taken at UConn, Castle is shooting a paltry 28.6%. Those numbers are better when broken down, but not by much. He’s shooting 32.4% on spot-up threes, having taken 37 on the year, but only shooting 29.6% when unguarded.
For the first half of the season, it’s looked like Castle’s extended load time was throwing him off an excellent catch-and-shoot rhythm. However, since the January 28th game against Xavier, it seems like Castle’s eliminated some of the hitch in his shot. He’s 9/22 from deep in that time and has looked more fluid and confident on his spot-up attempts.
Another hurdle for Castle’s ultimate scoring development is his pull-up shooting touch. Castle has only hit 24.0% of his pull-up shots this year and is only shooting 22.2% on his pull-up threes. Like any small sample size, these results should be taken with a slight grain of salt, as he’s only taken 16 mid-range pull-ups and nine pull-up threes.
When looking at Castle’s pull-up attempts, there isn’t anything stark or terrifying about his form, but it’s clear that he rarely stays balanced on these types of shots. For as good of a decelerator Castle is in transition, he doesn’t have that same balance he has on drives on his jump shots. That’ll be a skill worth monitoring not just this year but in the coming years for whichever team drafts him.
For Castle, the shooting shouldn’t be expected right away. There are many good outcomes for him, even if he can’t hit a high number of jump shots. He still has his defense, driving, and athleticism, all of which will get him minutes.
If he ever wants to unlock more of the map and become a star in the NBA, Castle will need to shore up his shooting issues. That’ll mean more consistency from deep, better balance on pull-ups, and developing his shot as a weapon. While it doesn’t have to come in his rookie year, Castle’s shooting will be the ultimate swing skill for his ceiling at the next level.
Circle of the Moon: Castle’s Driving
In classic “Metroidvania” fashion, it’s time to circle back to move forward. I’ve already touched on Stephon Castle’s driving, but it’s worth digging deeper to see how it could be a driving force for an eventual star turn he could make at the NBA level.
Right now, Castle is a solid, if unspectacular driver. He can get into the lane using his athletic tools and then decelerate to finish amongst taller players. He also has the strength to shrug off some contact on the way to the rim. Still, he’s mostly taking what a defense gives him instead of imposing his own will on drives.
There are a few layers to consider on what could make Castle’s driving even better. It’s still worth mentioning that he won’t get the necessary reps at UConn, given the team’s construction. Despite that impediment, there are three key areas where Castle could improve as a driver to set himself on a star path fully.
The first missing piece of Castle is his handle. Castle can get a bit loose and high with the basketball, which causes some unforced errors on his drives. Some are more benign, like not getting far enough in the paint when a more focused dribble would get him there, but others border on problematic, given his curious lack of strength at times with the basketball.
The second aspect of Castle’s driving is his free throw generation. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t have many concerns with Castle as a finisher, but stars don’t just get to the basket frequently; they get to the line.
Currently, Castle’s in good company; as per BartTorvik, he’s one of eight freshmen this year with at least a 4.5-box plus/minus score and a free throw rate above 40%. With his limited usage, it’s understandable that Castle only averages 3.6 free throw attempts per game, but hitting just 73.8% of them speaks again to the mechanical issues he’ll have to clean up with his shooting form.
The last piece, and the most difficult, is his in-between game. Like his jump shot, Castle doesn’t need to develop this immediately. This is more about his eventual future and what he’ll need to improve significantly to start up a star trajectory.
When discussing Castle’s jump shot, I noted his low percentage on mid-range pull-ups. Improving as a pull-up shooter would solve many of Castle’s problems, but it’s not the only way he can develop an in-between game. Castle’s hit four of his ten floater attempts, which is hardly anything to go by, but at least offers him an alternative in the mid-range to just developing a functional jumper.
None of these elements are easy to master; if Castle can improve on just one, he’d have a much more transparent star ceiling. It’s unfair to assume that his developmental trajectory will lead him to shore up each weakness slowly. It’s safer to think that Castle’s driving ability will always be predicated on his excellent finishing around the rim, not on these ancillary elements.
That makes his path towards stardom and leveling up his game much more difficult. Without a jump shot or a mid-range game, Castle risks his offense being reduced to a single deficient dimension. For a role player with his passing and cutting skills, that can work, but for a player with star potential, it would represent a missed opportunity if Castle can’t keep improving his arsenal and add to a new part of his game.
Lament of Innocence: Castle’s Comparisons
With such a unique skill set and situation, it’s hard to find a direct result for what Stephon Castle’s freshman season has been like. It’s similar to “Metroidvania” games; while they share many of the same core principles, each has its flavor. That’s the same with any comparison with Castle that I’ve explored, although there is one that is more intriguing than the rest.
From a purely numerical standpoint, it’s essential to look at the historical precedent of the numbers Castle is putting up as a freshman. His 4.6 BPM, 19.3% assist percentage, 2.2% block percentage, and 1.9% steal percentage are all great numbers for a freshman guard. Per BartTorvik, only Reed Sheppard matches those numbers this year, and the historical freshman crop is just as interesting to explore.
Not all freshmen who put up a 20.0% assist percentage, 2.0% block percentage, and 2.0% steal percentage are guards, but every player did make it to the NBA. Many exciting guard names like Markelle Fultz, James Harden, Cade Cunningham, Jrue Holiday, and Marcus Smart are on the list, but none of these players are exact comparisons for Castle.
Don’t get me wrong; Castle has many of their elements in his game. However, when trying to find a close stylistic and statistical match, none of these guards match what he’s doing due to their increased numbers on higher usage. Instead, it’s worth digging into a more oversized guard who didn’t even play college basketball to see what Castle could be at the NBA level.
In the 2021-2022 season, Dyson Daniels played on a prospect-laden G League Ignite team, leading him to play a more condensed version of his game. Next to players like Scoot Henderson, Jaden Hardy, and MarJon Beauchamp, Daniels didn’t have as much room to shine with the ball in his hands but look at the similarities between his numbers and Castle’s this year.
It’s not just the numbers that led me to draw this comparison. Castle and Daniels are both 6’6”, are both natural point guards, and both hang their hats on defense and passing. Each can easily switch, play dynamite point-of-attack defense, and create looks for their teammates out of thin air. Both also struggle to shoot from deep and create their shot outside their finishing at the rim.
It’s not a perfect comparison, but current Castle and draft-year Daniels bear enough resemblance to consider their respective roles. Before his knee injury, Daniels played a crucial bench role as an energetic defensive connector for the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he hadn’t improved much as a shooter or scorer.
That’s where Castle’s upside trumps that of Daniels. He’s a more dangerous driver when he looks to score and has more of the mindset necessary to be a leading scorer one day. Several teams would love to snag a player whose floor is Dyson Daniels and who could reach higher heights in the same archetype.
Curse of Darkness: Castle’s Conclusion
As basketball continues to change, so too do the scouting contexts. If you looked simply at Stephon Castle’s inaugural season at UConn, you might not see a star hiding in plain sight. However, when you peel back the layers, the signs of his potential stardom increase.
Like a good “Metroidvania” game, Castle’s game is still mostly unexplored. He’s fleshed out his defense and passing to a high level but could add a few more weapons to his arsenal to break through to the next stage in his game. While that might not happen at UConn, he could start to lay the foundation there.
To reach these heights, Castle must treat his development like “Castlevania” by doubling back to improve his current strengths, polishing his drives, and utilizing his jumper to shatter the ceiling on his game.
In a draft with so few true star talents, it’s worth betting on Castle’s potential ceiling. If he can hit upon a few of his weaknesses, Castle could have a range of outcomes, such as a secondary connector star or an on-ball star role. Like any exciting “Metroidvania” game, we don’t know what’s on the horizon for Castle. The team that takes Castle should push for him to continue to build his strengths and explore his game, with the possibility of stardom just around the next corner.