GLENDALE, Ariz. — When Stephon Castle touched the ball for the first time Saturday night, he didn’t see a defender nearby.
Alabama played well, beating the freshmen from the perimeter.
“All I can say is that it was kind of rude of them to protect that much of the rear,” Castle recalled. “I took advantage of it early. I saw the ball come in early. I thought it started a great night for me.”
Castle certainly did the Crimson Tide a favor.
He sank two 3-pointers early and tied a career-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting as top-seeded Connecticut defeated fourth-seeded Alabama 86-72 to win the national title. One win left. repeat.
Castle’s offensive breakthrough was unexpected.
The projected lottery pick has spent most of this year in a support role, protecting the opponent’s best players and doing the little things that lead to wins.
He only averaged 9.7 points in the tournament.
His biggest contribution was shutting out star guards like Northwestern’s Bou Bouye and Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr.
However, he played a central role in the offense against Alabama, scoring at all three levels against the Crimson Tide.
“He’s different than the other freshmen. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win,” said teammate Donovan Clingan. “He’s one of the best on-ball defenders I’ve ever seen. He puts in a lot of effort. He’s the most unselfish player on this team.”
That’s exactly what happened, and Castle credited his teammates for getting the ball in the right places for a great night.
Of course, Castle still had to change his mind on the big stage, in front of more than 70,000 people.
He made it look easy.
Consider this the latest example of why he has a bright future and Hurley has always raved about him.
“When we got to the first practice, whether you were reprimanding him or encouraging him, it was all ‘Yes, Coach,'” Hurley said. “He’s a really fun guy. His value at the next level is obvious on game nights. A lot of NBA teams come to watch us practice, where he plays ball more.” I can hold it in my hands and show all the things I can do that you don’t always see on game night.”
Everyone saw it on Saturday night.
