Is Stephon Castle playing tonight vs DePaul? UConn guard's status explored ahead of Blue Demons matchup

UConn phenom Stephon Castle continues to stand out from his freshman peers, winning an unprecedented seventh Big East Freshman of the Week honor on Monday. After a quiet outing versus Butler, the 6-foot-8 point guard bounced back with a 17-point effort Saturday to push the No. 18 Huskies past Georgetown 89-64.

Castle has led 22-2 UConn to a 12-2 conference record. With the Huskies facing last-place DePaul (3-20, Big East- 0-12) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, attention centers on whether Castle will suit up against the Blue Demons.

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Is Stephon Castle playing tonight vs. DePaul?

Stephon Castle is set to play against the Blue Demons as the UConn freshman has avoided the Huskies' injury report before Wednesday's clash.

Castle exploded out the gates in his freshman year at the University of Connecticut, posting 12 points versus Northern Arizona, followed by a 17-point outburst days later against Stonehill.

But a knee injury sidelined Castle for over a month, costing him six games, including the Huskies’ close December loss at No. 9 Kansas.

The coveted five-star recruit returned later that week against North Carolina to play 10 minutes after undergoing a minor procedure.

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Stephon Castle slowly regaining his shooting touch

Stephon Castle struggled mightily from 3-point range upon returning from his knee injury. Starting from the North Carolina game, Castle shot under 20% on three-pointers, missing 17 of 21 attempts in the next several matchups.

Opponents took advantage by sagging defenders into the paint and daring the cold-shooting Castle to fire away, similar to how teams defended former Husky Andre Jackson Jr. last season.

Castle missed all his 3-point tries against Xavier, DePaul and St. John's, going a combined 2 of 9 versus Villanova and Creighton. He endured a 14-game stretch without making multiple treys in a contest.

After an ice-cold stretch from deep, Stephon Castle has rediscovered his shooting stroke for UConn. The freshman guard erupted for a career-best 20 points versus Providence in early February, hitting 7-of-14 overall and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers.

Castle followed that with an even more efficient 21-point outburst against St. John's, shooting 7 for 12 overall, 2 for 2 from range and 5-for-5 at the charity stripe.

The budding star has averaged 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season. Though a knee injury and shooting struggles hampered Castle's first college months, he now looks rejuvenated. With his touch back, the gifted guard seems poised to meet the hype and help anchor surging UConn down the stretch.

Castle's resurgence comes at an ideal time for both the team and the player. After seeing his draft stock take a hit, Stephon Castle is rebuilding that momentum just ahead of the 2024 NBA draft. Many media houses project him to be a lottery pick.