Castle has entered Ricky Moore territory

[Palatine]

It's fun to watch when his man gets the ball. He is a 6-6 pest on the floor. He is very tough to get the ball over in the paint. He is so sound defensively. He is not flashy and I don't think he gets very many steals.

Last night when he poked the ball out of bounds in the back court, Moore came to mind. Diarra is a very good defender but for my money Castle is the best we've seen since Ricky.

 

[CL82]

It's fun to watch when his man gets the ball. He is a 6-6 pest on the floor. He is very tough to get the ball over in the paint. He is so sound defensively. He is not flashy and I don't think he gets very many steals.

Last night when he poked the ball out of bounds in the back court, Moore came to mind. Diarra is a very good defender but for my money Castle is the best we've seen since Ricky.

Napier/Boatwright?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

It's fun to watch when his man gets the ball. He is a 6-6 pest on the floor. He is very tough to get the ball over in the paint. He is so sound defensively. He is not flashy and I don't think he gets very many steals.

Last night when he poked the ball out of bounds in the back court, Moore came to mind. Diarra is a very good defender but for my money Castle is the best we've seen since Ricky.

He had one possession yesterday where he played incredible on-ball defense on his guy who was driving into the lane, forced a tough mid-range shot, and then completely stuffed him. It was as dominant of a defensive possession as I’ve seen.

 

[ctchamps]

Hassan is Napier/Boatwright level of guard good.

Stephon is a Ricky Moore/Lyman DePriest level of defender and given that he can guard so many positions effectively he might be the best defensive man to man player UConn has ever had.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

*Boatright

 

[Hunt for 7]

Hassan is Napier/Boatwright level of guard good.

Stephon is a Ricky Moore/Lyman DePriest level of defender and given that he can guard so many positions effectively he might be the best defensive man to man player UConn has ever had.

Certainly the best freshman defender we have ever had, but to your point maybe the on ball defender in our history.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

He had one possession yesterday where he played incredible on-ball defense on his guy who was driving into the lane, forced a tough mid-range shot, and then completely stuffed him. It was as dominant of a defensive possession as I’ve seen.

Just an incredible effort. I am most impressed at Castle's poise. Even when his shot is not falling he does not appear to get flustered, he just steps up in other areas and stays within the game.

 

[RichCTBB]

He’s so strong with on ball defense that it almost looks effortless. Ricky displayed a quickness and acceleration that Castle doesn’t seem to need.

 

[selles]

It's fun to watch when his man gets the ball. He is a 6-6 pest on the floor. He is very tough to get the ball over in the paint. He is so sound defensively. He is not flashy and I don't think he gets very many steals.

Last night when he poked the ball out of bounds in the back court, Moore came to mind. Diarra is a very good defender but for my money Castle is the best we've seen since Ricky.

Castle's overall poise is unbelievable. Nova tried the Andre defense on him, daring him to shoot. He did a few times, but other times he drove into the defense and made something happen. He refused to let Nova dictate how the offense was going to run. The kid plays like a 5th year senior.

 

[EBonz30]

His lower body strength & leverage is Josh Hart like- add his upper body chest strength & overall size & length & that equals not only best perimeter defender in the nation but to be projected as a All-NBA defender.

 

[AllHusky]

Lyman Depriest but quicker

 

[AdamaNation]

It's fun to watch when his man gets the ball. He is a 6-6 pest on the floor. He is very tough to get the ball over in the paint. He is so sound defensively. He is not flashy and I don't think he gets very many steals.

Last night when he poked the ball out of bounds in the back court, Moore came to mind. Diarra is a very good defender but for my money Castle is the best we've seen since Ricky.

Like any sport. Just staying in front a square to your opponent haults any forward progress to a better scoring position. Staying square and balanced and in front in basketball, football, hockey and soccer, not only impede the attacker but allow for help from other defenders. It’s the most efficient and effective form of shutting one down. A shot clock violation or bad shot = turnover. He’s really good at this. Great hips. Tracks like a baseball player as well.

 

[NJHusky]

Does he have a chance to get a Big East defensive award? Or is that just for someone with better stats?

 

[Hunt for 7]

Lyman Depriest but quicker

Good comp. Lyman I think was bit smaller maybe 6’4” but listed at 6’5”. Lyman was long though for his size, but as you note not as quick. But if you compared them as freshman that might not be fair. Lyman was always a good defender but not at Stephon’s level as a freshman.

 

[Waquoit]

Lyman Depriest but quicker

Looks like a good time to remind folks of a fun fact. Lyman designed this logo 40 years ago and they still use it.

 

[husky99]

I always remember Dyson for playing hard D. Did i rewrite history?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Napier/Boatwright?

I’m sure there were discussions 10 years ago (!!) that included “man imagine if Boatright was [Castle’s size]…”

 

[Rocktheworld]

I always remember Dyson for playing hard D. Did i rewrite history?

He was definitely not a poor defender but what I remember most regarding our back court defense in 09, admittedly as a perpetually drunk freshman, was really our press (and transition offense) with him, AJ, and Austrie in that three-guard lineup being an abject nightmare for other teams.

 

[dennismenace]

Just an incredible effort. I am most impressed at Castle's poise. Even when his shot is not falling he does not appear to get flustered, he just steps up in other areas and stays within the game.

Agree. Never changes his expression when there's a questionable call or when he gets hammered like he did last night when he upped fake two defenders and they came down on him. He has something very special when it comes to determination and maturity for such a young man. Competitor.

 

[CL82]

I’m sure there were discussions 10 years ago (!!) that included “man imagine if Boatright was [Castle’s size]…”

No doubt, but Boatwright made up for it with world class toughness.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

 

[GlastonTim]

With Castle’s size he’s able to cover 1 thru 4/5. Those other guys couldn’t do that. Makes him the best me thinks.

 

[husky429]

Castle's ability to guard 1-4 is going to make him a lot of money.

I think the most impressive thing is how much his defense has improved. He was a pretty bland defender last year in high school (like most recruits). That shows he is 100% bought into our system.

 

[Gurleyman]

Certainly the best freshman defender we have ever had, but to your point maybe the on ball defender in our history.

Different type of defender perhaps (less of a lockdown cornerback and more of a free safety who read the game), so it's an interesting debate, but there was once this guy named Henefeld...

 

[Deepster]

I'm a big Castle fan, but more than anything, this thread discredits just what Ricky Moore did on defense while at UConn.

As a freshman, he locked down Iverson in the BET Tourney finals holding him to 13 pts but just 2 pts in the 2nd half of that game. He had shoulder issues and a suspension that held him back some as a sophomore.

As a junior and mostly as a senior? He was the definition of lockdown. It's tough to find old box scores, but he was essentially like an NFL cornerback like Darrelle Revis that would just eliminate someone on offense completely. Castle is really, really good with great potential. Ricky Moore was elite.

If you watch the last minute of the first title game vs Duke, when El Amin shoots that 2nd FT, you see Moore get in William Avery's shirt at the top of the arc, forcing them to inbound it to Langdon (not their best ball handler), then you can watch Moore glove up Avery until Langdon crossed half court where they converged on him and he travelled. I've always thought those little edges and details were what he brought every game that went unheralded and unnoticed regularly.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm a big Castle fan, but more than anything, this thread discredits just what Ricky Moore did on defense while at UConn.

As a freshman, he locked down Iverson in the BET Tourney finals holding him to 13 pts but just 2 pts in the 2nd half of that game. He had shoulder issues and a suspension that held him back some as a sophomore.

As a junior and mostly as a senior? He was the definition of lockdown. It's tough to find old box scores, but he was essentially like an NFL cornerback like Darrelle Revis that would just eliminate someone on offense completely. Castle is really, really good with great potential. Ricky Moore was elite.

If you watch the last minute of the first title game vs Duke, when El Amin shoots that 2nd FT, you see Moore get in William Avery's shirt at the top of the arc, forcing them to inbound it to Langdon (not their best ball handler), then you can watch Moore glove up Avery until Langdon crossed half court where they converged on him and he travelled. I've always thought those little edges and details were what he brought every game that went unheralded and unnoticed regularly.

Who is discrediting Ricky? It's because many of us recognize Ricky to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, UConn defender that we are comparing Stephon to him. I purposely did not compare Stephon to Diana Taurasi to eliminate your appearance in this thread.

 

[Deepster]

Who is discrediting Ricky? It's because many of us recognize Ricky to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, UConn defender that we are comparing Stephon to him. I purposely did not compare Stephon to Diana Taurasi to eliminate your appearance in this thread.

The fact that Castle didn't even play in the beginning of the season due to injury, didn't start immediately once he came back and has only taken off really in the 2nd half of this season? Discredits what Moore did over 4 years.

It's flattering to Moore....but it's unjustified hyperbole.

 

[Conndog]

Just an incredible effort. I am most impressed at Castle's poise. Even when his shot is not falling he does not appear to get flustered, he just steps up in other areas and stays within the game.

When camera shows sideline huddles with coach, Castle is always listening very attentively. He cheers his teammates on and he never pouts or seems down on himself. Rather, if something doesn't go right, he comes back more determined than ever. That is the one word that describes him best: determined.

 

[Doheny]

Does he have a chance to get a Big East defensive award? Or is that just for someone with better stats?

Ricky lost to that Syracuse center who had a few flashy blocks.

 

[Palatine]

Ricky almost always played against the head of the snake. Very tough assignment. He is the consensus best exterior defender we have every had. Ricky cut off what the offensive player wanted to do before the opponent started to do it. His anticipation was incredible.

Lyman was probably the toughest defender I ever saw. He was a rock. He was 6-4 with the power of of Sanogo. And at 6-4 he was capable of guarding 5-10 rocketships.

Boatright was great. For the old timers Dan Hesford. Nobody played the passing lanes like Henefeld, And Scott Burrell was only the greatest athlete the state has ever produced and an incredible defender.

I did not say, and am not saying, that Castle is a better defensive player than Ricky. But he still deserves to be in this conversation. And that is not hyperbole. If you don't appreciate what we are seeing right now wearing #5. Fine.

 

[alexd]

Hassan is Napier/Boatwright level of guard good.

Stephon is a Ricky Moore/Lyman DePriest level of defender and given that he can guard so many positions effectively he might be the best defensive man to man player UConn has ever had.

Yep. I'm pretty sure Dana Barros still has bad dreams about Lyman.