UConn stars go in top 10 of NBA Draft
Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
The UConn Huskies produced back-to-back national championships, and they also produced a pair of top-10 picks in this year’s draft.
UConn star freshman guard Stephon Castle was selected No. 4 overall by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Then a few picks later at No. 7, the Portland Trail Blazers took big man Donovan Clingan.
Castle and Clingan join Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor (2004) as the second UConn duo to be drafted in the top 10 of the same draft.
Stephon Castle & Donovan Clingan are the second @UConnMBB duo to both go Top-10 in the same NBA Draft, joining Emeka Okafor & Ben Gordon in 2004. pic.twitter.com/qL9hvZRWmG
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) June 27, 2024
From national champions to top-10 picks
Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan are livin' the dream pic.twitter.com/hn3AlUCWeT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 27, 2024
After coming off the bench as a freshman, Clingan started 33 of 35 games last season for the Huskies. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in the 2023-2024 season. He helped lead the Huskies to a national championship in both of his seasons with the team. Clingan also is the third-highest drafted UConn center in school history.
Castle was the only freshman to see significant minutes for UConn lass season. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 11.1 points per game last season and now will be asked to give Victor Wembanyama some offensive help.