The NBA’s regular season has come to a close, and with it the rookie years for a trio of UConn men’s basketball legends are now in the books. Stephon Castle had a remarkable rookie year and should take home some hardware as a result, Donovan Clingan had some monstrous performances and underlying stats say he could be in line for a big jump as an NBA sophomore, and Tristen Newton advocated for himself, and found a fit that might help him find his way in the league.
Cam Spencer could still be playing as the playoffs arrive, and he provided Huskies fans with nearly as many memorable moments in the pros this season as anybody else. Don’t forget about Tyrese Martin–who isn’t a rookie but made a major jump this season.
Huskies fans have plenty to be proud about regarding their former Storrs stars. Here’s a look at how they all fared this season.
1. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs: Last year’s Big East Freshman of the Year should become this year’s NBA Rookie of the Year, as Castle finished up a superb first season with the Spurs. The powerfully-athletic, crafty combo guard showed the NBA the potential he flashed in Storrs last season, and averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. He led all rookies in points, field goals made, and steals, and ranked second in total minutes and fourth in assists.
Castle got better as the season went on, averaging 19.5 points and 4.8 assists in March, and 18.5 points, 7.5 assists and 6.9 rebounds in April– those are All-Star numbers. He was a big part of All-Star Weekend in February too, winning Rising Stars Challenge MVP on All-Star Friday night, competing in the Slam Dunk contest on Saturday and playing in the All-Star Game (as a result of his Rising Stars team winning Friday) on Sunday. His highest-scoring game this year came on Feb. 7, when he put up 33 against the Hornets, and he dropped 32 in a loss to the Thunder on March 2.
However you cut it, it’s been an impressive rookie season for Castle, and he should have the silverware to back it up soon.
2. Tyrese Martin, Brooklyn Nets: We’re giving Tyrese the nod at No. 2 here, as no former Husky outside of Castle did more to advance his career this season. Martin went from preseason training camp invite to two-way player, and in February the Nets decided they wanted him around for the long term– signing the former Husky to a two-year contract.
The 2022 second-round pick played in 60 games with the Nets this season, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per while shooting 40.7% from the field. He scored a season-high 30 points on Nov. 27 against the Suns, and closed the year with two 20-point performances in his final five games. The 26-year-old wing was arguably the feel-good Husky of the year in the NBA, and he did enough to earn a place in the league for at least another couple of seasons.
3. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers: ‘Cling Kong’ had some monster moments this season, including a 17-point, 20-rebound game against the Nuggets on Feb. 20, a 19-rebound performance on Nov. 23 and 18 boards on April 4. But the Bristol big man missed time with a couple of injuries, and ended up averaging 6.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game over 67 games. He did start 37 of those, many while center Deandre Ayton was out with an injury of his own, and showed plenty of promise, but head coach Chauncey Billups was cautious with his minutes while the rebuilding Blazers developed their own identity. Clingan’s per-36-minute stats were eye-popping– as he averaged 11.9 points and 14.3 rebounds, meaning his numbers could have been much better with more regular playing time. Either way, the future is blindingly bright for Clingan, and it’ll be interesting to see how he continues to grow next season.
4. Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans: It was a rough season for Hawkins, who battled a lower back injury that kept him out for long stretches, and he ended up playing in 56 games and making nine starts. Hawkins averaged 10.8 points per game, but his shooting numbers were down across the board, including falling to 33.1% from 3-point range, and 37.2% overall. ‘Hawk’ was brought in to be a knock-down shooter, but his struggles from deep and his still-slim frame may leave the Pelicans with some concern for the future. It was a nightmare season for New Orleans, which saw the majority of its key players sidelined with injuries and collapsed to a 21-61 record. Better days should be ahead for Hawkins and the Pels next season.
5. Andre Jackson Jr., Milwaukee Bucks: Things were going great for a while for the captain of the ’23 national champs, as Jackson’s insertion into the starting lineup helped the Bucks shake off a 2-8 start, and Milwaukee reeled off 11 wins in 14 games and captured the NBA Cup title. But as the season wore on and Jackson’s offensive struggles continued, the team started to look for other options. The Bucks traded for Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. at the deadline– and their additions relegated Jackson to a bench role after starting 43 games.
“We brought in other guys that I think fill his role,” head coach Doc Rivers told reporters in late February as Jackson’s minutes dwindled. “His numbers were not great, especially with Giannis (Antetokounmpo) on the floor, those two guys together. But there’s still going to be, he’s still going to play, there’s still going to be a use for him because he can defend and he gives us energy, whether it will be a 20-minute, 10-minute, you just never know.”
Jackson averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 47.7% for the season. The former second-round pick has proven his worth defensively, but improving his offensive bag and 3-point shot (which wasn’t bad statistically– 39.5% in just over an attempt per game) will be crucial to him reclaiming playing time with the Bucks– or another NBA team– going forward. He’s under contract with Milwaukee for two more seasons.
6. Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies: ‘Killa Cam’ made Huskies fans smile ear-to-ear several times this season, like when he trash-talked Kevin Durant while going for 16 in a game against the Phoenix Suns, or when he exploded for 51 points in a G League game on Dec. 3, knocking down an absolutely absurd 12 of 15 three-pointers and shooting 18 of 24 overall. He also had a scuffle with Devin Booker in an earlier game against the Suns this season, and closed out the regular season on Sunday with his first career start, scoring 23 points and dishing out 7 assists in Memphis’ 132-97 win over the Mavericks. For the season, Spencer averaged 4.2 points per game and shot 41 percent from the field, but his per-36 minute stats, like Clingan’s, show he may just have a real future ahead of him. He averaged 15.1 points and dished out 5 assists per 36 minutes on the floor. Memphis finished as the No. 8 seed and will face Golden State in the West Play-In bracket, and if the Grizzlies make the playoffs, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Spencer sees any time.
7. Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers: Drummond was a pro’s pro for the 76ers this season, playing in 40 games and averaging 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while filling in for Joel Embiid, who played just 19 games and ended up having to get knee surgery. The former Husky had some injury issues of his own, missing time with a left toe sprain, but it hardly mattered for Philadelphia, which went into full tank mode following Embiid’s injury.
8. Tristen Newton, Minnesota Timberwolves: It was a strange season for the 2024 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, as Newton was drafted in the second round by the Indiana Pacers, and played for the franchise’s G League team for the first part of the season before reportedly pushing for his release and signing with the Timberwolves. Newton saw even less time with Minnesota, stepping on the court in just three games with the NBA club. He was impressive in the G League however, averaging 16.3 points and 6.8 assists combined for Indiana and Minnesota’s affiliates.
9. Adama Sanogo, Free Agent: Sanogo was putting together another solid season in the G League, averaging 16.8 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Windy City Bulls when he suffered a left knee contusion and was waived by Chicago on Feb. 19. The ’23 Final Four Most Outstanding Player had been on a two-way contract with the Bulls, but only saw the court in 13 games over two seasons. His injury appeared to play a part in the decision to waive him, and Sanogo has yet to sign with another team. If he doesn’t sign a two-way contract elsewhere, he’ll likely end up continuing his career overseas.
Other Huskies in the Pros: James Bouknight averaged 12.7 points in 23 games with the Blazers’ G League squad … Shabazz Napier averaged 10 points and 3 assists for Bayern Munich, which is in the EuroLeague playoffs play-in round … R.J. Cole is averaging 10.3 ppg for Rytas Vilnius in Lithuania … Christian Vital averaged 15.3 ppg for Dethrona in Italy … Rodney Purvis is averaging 12.3 ppg for Cherno More Ticha in Bulgaria … Amida Brimah is averaging 4.3 ppg for Valencia in Spain. … Joey Calcaterra put up 1.8 ppg in 12 G League games this season … Tyler Polley averaged 3.1 in 18 G League appearances.
Originally Published: April 14, 2025 at 1:46 PM EDT
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