Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Alex Karaban, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer
Brian breaks down the top prospects from the National Champions, UCONN Huskies. This includes, guard Stephon Castle, big Donovan Clingan, wing Alex Karaban, guard Tristen Newton, and guard Cam Spencer
The Back to Back National Champions, UCONN Huskies. After losing Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson Jr to the NBA, Dan Hurley replaced them with 5 star recruit Stephon Castle, and Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer. Donovan Clingan steps into the starting lineup, and the rest is history. They somehow were better this season than last season. Now, there’s a chance Hurley could lose his entire starting lineup, depending on what Karaban decides. All 5 of these players are legitimate prospects that could all make an impact in the NBA. Furthermore, next season we could have another few guys depending on how things go. Hurley is an NBA level coach if he ever decides that’s what he wants to do.
Stephon Castle/UCONN
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Stephon Castle was a top high school recruit that decided to go to UCONN to replace Andre Jackson. Castle became a swiss army knife for the Huskies and became a very valuable player. He was a PG in high school, was a decent scorer in HS, came in with defensive concerns. That script has flipped on its head as now, he’s one of the best guard defenders in this draft, played as a wing off ball at times for UCONN, and wasn’t that aggressive on offense. There have been some whispers have come out that he sees himself as a PG and doesn’t work out with any team that has a starting PG in place.
Personal Opinion
I was very conservative with his comparisons. I think he’s got a lot more upside than Shaun Livingston. Honestly, I think he’s got the highest upside out of anyone in this class, and it only takes a couple things and Stephon Castle could be an All-Star. I really don’t think it’s insane. Now it’s very important to note that Castle improved as the season went on, from 3. He shot 33% in conference play, and had a stretch of 10+ games where he shot 40%. His FT’s also improved throughout the season. I know it doesn’t mean much, I also find it funny that he led the combine in the 3PT shooting drill at the combine. With the amount of talent that UCONN had, it made a lot of sense for Castle to move a bit more off the ball, and the fact that he was good at a role he had never played before, is honestly very interesting. It creates a lot of avenues to where he could succeed in the NBA. If there’s an all star in this class, I think it's him.
Fantasy
It’s hard to get a full grasp on the fantasy potential here. He’s a better passer than the numbers would indicate. If the shot comes around, then there’s a lot more there. The steals could improve, but it is a high variance stat. I think there’s some top 30 upside as a fantasy player if everything clicks. I think he should be one of the first few picks off the board in dynasty drafts. It doesn’t take a lot for Castle.
If Stephon fails in the league, Why?
His shot never comes around and he basically becomes a ball handler that doesn’t contribute to winning. He also could get put in a bad situation which could limit his development.
To illustrate how big the swing skill of the shooting is with Castle. There’s a lot of names here right? Castle’s defense is already insane. He was a huge swiss army knife and was good at it. If the high school tape is real, and he still can pass at that level, and be aggressive at scoring the ball like he did in high school, we are looking at Markelle Fultz (pre-injury), Shai Gilgeous Alexander, John Wall, Tyrese Haliburton, Lonzo Ball comparisons. If he isn’t aggressive, Bruce Brown, De’Anthony Melton, isn’t insane. People will compare him to Anthony Black, which I do get. I think Castle is actually better than Black, and has a bigger chance of playing immediately, and I don’t like to compare incoming prospects to rookies. Cason Wallace isn’t an insane comparison either. Also, shout out to Collin Murray-Boyles, massive sleeper for 2025.
Big Performance Highlights
March 28th vs. San Diego State
16 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 To, 5-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 6-8 FT
Let’s jump straight into the sweet 16. Castle did his swiss army knife things and helped the Huskies just obliterate the team that they beat in the finals last season. The fact that Castle led everyone in rebounds in this game, when you have two very good rebounders in Clingan and LeDee for San Diego State on the other side, is very interesting.
21 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 To, 7-13 FG, 2-6 3PT, 5-6 FT
This was the first game in the NCAA tournament where things got a little interesting for UCONN, so the fact that Castle stepped up big in this game, (and the final), is a pretty big deal, especially for a freshman. Defensively he was good and wasn’t afraid of the moment.
Donovan Clingan/UCONN
UCONN Athletics
Donovan Clingan started off his college career playing behind Adama Sanogo and got some draft buzz in his freshman season. He decided to go back to school and capitalize on the weak draft and stifle some of the concerns. He started the season slow due to some injuries, including a foot injury. Down the stretch, he recovered, got himself in a bit more shape, and was one of the most dominant big men in the country this season. Most analytical stats would have him second in the country behind Zach Edey.
Personal Opinion
I am still concerned about the injuries. If the medicals check out, then he should be ok. However, a big man, who’s as big of a man as he is, that has already had a bit of a history with lower body injuries, is a concern. He’s obviously not Zion, but this could be a similar story. He’s unbelievably dominant, but he might not be able to handle heavy minutes. If he can, then he’s going to be a very good player. I have very little worry about him flaming out because of skill. I do think that consensus is going a little crazy on him at the moment, but as a later top 10 pick, maybe depending on fit, I wouldn’t hate it.
Fantasy
This probably is a top 3 dynasty pick. There aren't any huge negatives, high floor as a prospect, high floor as a fantasy player. It depends where he ends up obviously, but if he ends up somewhere he starts immediately, he’s probably first or second to be honest. From there, we will see, but Walker Kessler was good his rookie year. Jakob has always been a good fantasy player. If Donovan hits and can play in high leverage situations and play heavy minutes, top 25 isn’t crazy. I wouldn't be banking on it though. Top 60 is probably more realistic.
If Donovan fails in the league, Why?
Injuries. If he’s too big that his body can’t handle playing high level basketball, that could really limit him. There also could be questions about his fit as an NBA player similar to how Walker Kessler has it right now.
Donovan Clingan was so dominant this season in college basketball, that nothing that was remotely reflective of him, so I’m just sticking with Tankathon with him. He’s not Hasheem Thabeet though. Thabeet was a lot older, a lot less skilled. Clingan is skilled despite the fact that he is tall. However, from a physical profile, they are pretty similar, and it doesn’t help that both went to UCONN. I will reiterate, he is not Hasheem Thabeet and he won’t flame out like he did.
Big Performance Highlights
22 Pts, 16 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 To, 7-12 FG, 8-11 FT
Nice try Oso. Clingan is just too big, too long, and too talented. Clingan was big in this game to clinch the Big East championship. UCONN won this game by 16 points, and this game was blown open in the second half. Clingan was the best player on the floor in this one.
22 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 5 Blk, 1 To, 9-13 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-8 FT
Well yeah. Illinois tried. Elite 8 game and lost by 25 and the reason why is this guy is just too good. Everyone on the Illini just struggled, and holding TJ Shannon to 8 points is one heck of an achievement for Clingan and the team.
Alex Karaban/UCONN
UCONN Athletics
For the past two seasons, Alex Karaban has been the steady 3PT shooter that has helped unlock this offense. Karaban is an elite shooter that shot it really well. His percentages dropped a bit this season, but that’s only because he started off really slow, and then really turned it up late. He’s good defensively, has good size and has no problem playing a role player role. He could go back to school depending on how teams view him after the combine.
Personal Opinion
Whether he stays or not, he’s going to be fine in terms of his draft stock. I’ve had a first round grade on him basically all season long. He’s just excellent as a shooting 3nD wing. He may not have a ton of self-creation abilities, but everything else is already as good as it is, that it may not be hugely necessary for him to have a long career. It is worth noting that the best comparisons for him were Sam Hauser and Georges Niang. Niang was a late second and Hauser was undrafted. Both players took a while before they found their footing. I think Karaban is already a better player than where they were in their college careers. I think Karaban has more upside than these two as well. Some people like to compare him to Corey Kispert. While I get the concern, Karaban is a lot more of a forward than Kispert. He’s also a better defender. Corey Kispert was a lot more of an electric offensive player though.
Fantasy
He won’t be the best fantasy player to say the least. The appeal comes from the 3PT shooting and efficiency. He probably won’t get much else. If he does end up starting, he could have a top 120 season, but it will be pretty heavy in the stream territory.
If Alex fails in the league, Why?
He’s a low usage player, if he doesn’t hit his open shots, it could get a little tough for him in the league. If he struggles defensively things could get tough for him. He could be a liability in an NBA playoff setting if his defense doesn’t improve.
What I find interesting about this list is that Karaban was the lowest usage player out of the main NBA guys up top. He’s not Mikal Bridges, so let's get that out of the way. However, their roles were similar. Villanova also won the championship that year and had guys that could play. Karaban is a little smaller compared to a lot of the NBA guys, and as a four, it's a little concerning. Doug McDermott had a fine NBA career but he was one of the best offensive college players in recent history. Kispert was a better offensive player, but Karaban was a better defender. It’s just worth noting.
Big Performance Highlights
25 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 10-14 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-2 FT
Karaban destroyed Georgetown this year in their other matchups as well. This one showed a bit more peripheral stats, so I decided to include it. He was efficient from the field, and oh yeah. UCONN won this game by 25. So a nice big smack down.
23 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 To, 8-13 FG, 5-9 3PT, 2-2 FT
A nice big performance, in a big win against Marquette. UCONN won this game by 7 points, and if Karaban wasn’t hitting shots, they would have lost this game. It was overall a good game for Marquette without Tyler Kolek in this one, but Karaban stepped up and hit the shots when they were needed.
Tristen Newton/UCONN
UCONN Athletics
The engine of this team has been Tristen Newton. He’s been the consistent leader on this team. He started out at East Carolina and played there for 3 seasons. He transferred to UCONN and the two seasons he’s been there, he’s won the title. He was also the 2024 NCAA Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. He’s got good size and playmaking which make him interesting.
Personal Opinion
I think there’s something there for sure. East Carolina was not a good team at all, and he didn’t stand out to a huge deal there, but he came in and was their best player as a freshman, so that’s something. He can score, and there is a bit of Shake Milton to him but I think there’s more to his game than that. He’s interesting and he’s worth a flier for sure, and he probably should be drafted. It’ll be interesting to see if, and if so where.
Fantasy
The rebounding will be a good get for the manager that gets him. He has good passing as well which helps. The efficiency will be a concern if he hits, unless he improves, but good job in the peripherals. If he does hit, he could be a top 100 player, but I wouldn’t be banking on it.
If Tristen fails in the league, Why?
His shot selection issues continue and it makes the offense struggle. He also might struggle to add more muscle and not be able to guard the bigger players. He also might have been perfectly utilized by Dan Hurley and he might struggle once he leaves.
There are some interesting names for sure. He’s not the defender that these guys were, which shows where he needs to improve but Delon Wright has some similarities to him.
Big Performance Highlights
25 Pts, 6 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 To, 6-11 FG, 3-7 3PT, 10-12 FT
Newton was a monster in this one. Cam and Tristen really carried the Huskies to a win in this one. Newton was doing a good job filling up the stat sheet and did a really good job in the first half in this one.
20 Pts, 5 Reb, 7 Ast, 6-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 6-6 FT
We can’t talk about Newton, without talking about the championship game, where he was the best player on the floor for UCONN as they went back to back. He was a big constant in that run and it's crazy they went back to back at all. Newton had an efficient game and Purdue’s guards really struggled with UCONN’s length and Newton was a big part of that.
Cam Spencer/UCONN
WINSLOW TOWNSON/REUTERS
Cam Spencer started out at Loyola Maryland and played there for 3 seasons. He transferred to Rutgers for his Senior season, then transferred to UCONN for his 5th year. He has improved every season. He is a crazy competitor that will trash talk to fans if they trash talk him. He’s also a really good shooter. At the very least, he’ll be a good locker room guy for motivation.
Personal Opinion
Cam Spencer is the type of player that fans like. He’ll be hated on opposing teams and loved on his own team. He’s the type of player you don’t want to see beat you because he’ll let you know. There’s a lot of reasons why he probably shouldn’t work. He’s not an athletic guy. He’s old and physically limited. We only have 2 years of him being a somewhat interesting option. Granted, teams got to take a bit of a look at him when scouting Santi Aldama early in his career at Loyola Maryland. However, this guy can shoot, is a crazy hard worker and is probably the most competitive player in the draft. I could see him being a player that plays a while in the league. He also might not, but he’ll be a valuable player to a team, whether that is an NBA team, G League Team, or a Euroleague team.
Fantasy
Good shooting is the appeal with him. He’ll be able to make those shots in the league as well. He has good assists and good steals and has shown an ability to do it for more than one season. He doesn’t turn the ball over either. If he does hit and start, he could be a top 100 player but I wouldn’t be banking on it. He’ll likely be relatively mid in terms of overall performance but have an attitude and competitiveness that will help his reputation be bigger than his overall production.
If Cam fails in the league, Why?
He’s not athletic enough and gets targeted defensively. He also could be limited offensively to just a shooter and if he’s just a shooter, there’s not much reason he can play. The Troy Daniels/John Jenkins mold doesn’t work in the NBA anymore.
Now I think this is interesting in a sense. He’s not Curry so we are clear. He’s not as skilled as Podziemski was either. He’s not as big as Denzel Valentine either. I don’t think he’s the scorer that Reggie Jackson is. Now Buddy Hield. Hear me out. Cam isn’t that level of shooter but given his work ethic, he could become that. Hield has a lot of similarities. Landry Shamet is a possibility if he’s put purely off the ball, and that does have some value, but Shamet has some severe limitations.
Big Performance Highlights
December 5th vs. North Carolina
23 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 8-14 FG, 3-9 3PT, 4-5 FT
A really good game for Cam Spencer against a very good opponent. UCONN won this game and this was also at MSG. This game helped Cam Spencer’s reputation as a player by showing up big in this game against one of the top basketball colleges.
20 Pts, 4 Reb, 9 Ast, 5-10 FG, 4-5 3PT, 6-6 FT
This was in the Big East Semi-final game and Cam Spencer put on a performance in this game. He wasn’t afraid of the moment at MSG and this was pretty close. St John’s is in NY so it was more of a hostile environment too. UCONN won this game by 5, and St. John’s was fighting for their season as this game was probably going to put them in the tournament.
Final Thoughts
Stephon Castle is a big guard that can pass and defend. There are questions about his jump shot and aggressiveness but if he can improve that, there is some real all star potential with Stephon Castle. The downside with him is as a role player type. I currently have Castle at 3 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Stephon Castle went 2nd to the Washington Wizards.
Donovan Clingan is a big bodied big man that can really be a physically imposing center. He sets hard screens, and was one of the best players in college basketball this season. He could have some health issues, but if that checks out, he can still be a very good player. I currently have Donovan Clingan at 8 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Donovan Clingan went 9th to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Alex Karaban is the sharpshooter that has helped unlock UCONN’s offense. He has good size and is good defensively as well. There are some questions offensively with how much of his game can go behind hitting wide open jumpers, but he’s a really effective player. I currently have Alex Karaban at 27 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Alex Karaban went 40th to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Tristen Newton is a big guard that can pass the ball and rebound. There are some questionable shot selections and efficiency issues, but he’s an all around really solid player and has a decent chance of sticking. I currently have Newton at 56 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Tristen Newton went undrafted.
Cam Spencer is a knock down shooter that likes to trash talk. He’s a super fiery competitor and isn’t afraid of the moment. He’s improved a lot since he came into college and could be a good locker room guy in the right situation. I currently have Cam Spencer at 47 on my board. In the recent Dizzle DynastyMock, Cam Spencer went 58th to the Dallas Mavericks.