The San Antonio Spurs were named as one of the biggest winners after Day 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft following their selection of Stephon Castle as the No. 4 overall pick.
![San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle Gets Compared to 2-Time NBA Champion Guard by ESPN Draft Expert 1 San Antonio Spurs, Stephon Castle, UConn Huskies](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_22960702-scaled.jpg)
Stephon Castle was a key player for the UConn Huskies’ 2024 NCAA title run, averaging 11.1 points on 47.2 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. The 19-year-old combo guard is seen by many as a perfect fit alongside San Antonio Spurs rising star Victor Wembanyama because of his immense potential.
He is so good that ESPN’s Jay Bilas even likened him to Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday because of his ability to defend multiple positions on the court with the help of his 6’9″ wingspan.
![San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle Gets Compared to 2-Time NBA Champion Guard by ESPN Draft Expert 2 San Antonio Spurs, Stephon Castle, UConn Huskies](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_22977972_168400517_lowres-scaled.jpg)
“Having top-end perimeter defenders with on-ball force and multi-positional athleticism has become so important in the NBA. It’s even better if you have an elite rim protector behind them,” Brad Botkin wrote in his latest CBS Sports column.
“San Antonio has Victor Wembanyama as a generational paint protector, and now it gets 6-foot-6 Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick, whom Jay Bilas compared to Jrue Holiday for his physical defensive force,” he added.
Dan Hurley reacts to San Antonio Spurs picking Stephon Castle
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley couldn’t be any more proud of Stephon Castle, as he believes that the San Antonio Spurs hit the jackpot by picking up his former floor general.
![San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle Gets Compared to 2-Time NBA Champion Guard by ESPN Draft Expert 3 UConn Huskies, Dan Hurley, NCAA Tournament, Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22825314_168400517_lowres.jpg)
“This guy, when you look at fit, the San Antonio Spurs value winning, they value workers, they value championships, and this is the perfect player for them to draft with what they do with that organization. This guy’s just scratching the surface,” Hurley said via Dalton Zbierski of FOX61.
Stephon Castle is the sixth UConn Huskies player selected in the top five of the NBA Draft, joining Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, and Hasheem Thabeet.