Updates on the UConn Huskies in the NBA
All-Star Weekend is nearly here and most of the nine UConn alumni on NBA rosters will have a chance to rest and prepare themselves for the second half.
Most, not all. Some will be in the Bay Area themselves to compete in the All-Star festivities. Rookie Stephon Castle will join fan favorite Andre Jackson Jr. in the Slam Dunk Contest as two of the most athletic UConn men’s basketball players in recent memory compete to wow the judges and create even more jaw-dropping highlights.
As the season moves past its halfway point, it’s time to check in on the former Huskies making a living in the best pro basketball league on Earth.
Stephon Castle – San Antonio Spurs
Castle is having an exceptional rookie campaign with the Spurs. The 20-year-old guard is averaging 12.7 points and 3.6 assists per game in just over 25 minutes. Castle was recently named the NBA’s January Rookie of the Month and FanDuel Sportsbook lists him as the current favorite for Rookie of the Year (+145 odds).
He will compete in the dunk contest on Saturday, Feb. 15, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Andre Jackson Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks
Jackson has a few days to prepare to face Castle in the dunk contest, and while he isn’t putting up the production that Castle is, he has done plenty off the bench for the Bucks in the first half. The second-year reserve is averaging 3.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.5 apg. At 6’6, Jackson will have the height and bounce to show off some impressive dunks -— something UConn fans are plenty familiar with already.
Adama Sanogo – Chicago Bulls
Sanogo has continued to grow and impress coaches with his performance in the G League. He has had some injury trouble this year, but in the 11 games that he has played with the Windy City Bulls, he has averaged a double-double with 17.0 points and 11.7 rebounds, along with 1.5 blocks on the defensive end. He has appeared in four games with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 2.0 points.
Sanogo was selected to participate in the G League’s Up Next Game, scheduled to take place Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, but a left knee contusion that has sidelined him the past few weeks has made him questionable to appear.
Andre Drummond – Philadelphia 76ers
Drummond has dealt with a toe injury for much of this season, playing in only 26 of the 76ers’ 52 games. He averaged 6.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in the time, however, and was back on the court on Wednesday, Feb. 12. He will work toward more playing time backing up Joel Embiid in the second half of the season.
Jordan Hawkins – New Orleans Pelicans
Hawkins has enjoyed a productive sophomore season. When Pelicans’ star point guard Dejounte Murray went down with a ruptured right achilles, guys like Hawkins were able to step up and play more. His minutes per game have increased from 17 last year to 23 this year, and in turn, so has his scoring. Hawkins averaged 7.8 points his rookie year compared to 10.6 points through 35 games so far this year. The 22-year-old has dealt with some injuries as well this season, including a lower back strain in early November and a left ankle sprain more recently.
Donovan Clingan – Portland Trail Blazers
Clingan has mainly come off the bench for the Blazers in his 40 games played so far this year, averaging a respectable 5.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game. He has shown spurts of his talent , scoring a career-high 21 points Wednesday night in a loss to the Pacers while becoming the first Portland rookie since 1985 to grab 20 rebounds.
The league has seen a bit of what Clingan has to offer, but the No. 7 overall pick in last year’s draft still has a ways to go before he can produce at the level he did consistently in Storrs. As long as he is playing behind current center Deandre Ayton, additional minutes will be hard to come by.
Tyrese Martin – Brooklyn Nets
Martin has been an effective role player for the Nets since returning to the NBA after playing in the G League for most of the 2023-24 campaign. He has proven he belongs in the pros through 35 games this season, averaging 7.9 points per game in over 20 minutes per game. Martin is quietly enjoying the best season of his NBA career in 2024-25 and looks to continue to trend upward when the second half gets underway.
Cam Spencer – Memphis Grizzlies
Another two-way contract player, Spencer has appeared in only 10 games so far this year with the Grizzlies. The guard missed the beginning of the season with an ankle sprain and suffered a fractured thumb in a G League practice in January. He has not appeared in a game since, but when he is on the floor, has averaged 4.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds.
Nonetheless, Spencer has had a busy season. He scored 51 points in a G League game Dec. 15, got into an on-court altercation with Devin Booker in a New Year’s Eve game that saw him play a career-high 21 minutes, and even matched up against his brother, Pat Spencer, for the first time in the NBA on Jan. 4.
Tristen Newton – Indiana Pacers/Minnesota Timberwolves
The 2024-25 season has been rocky for the former UConn guard. Newton sprained his ankle in December and the Pacers waived him on Jan. 1. The Timberwolves claimed him two days later. He played four games with the Indiana Mad Ants, averaging 14.8 ppg, 7.8 apg and 3.3 rpg in 34.9 mpg. After Minnesota picked him up, he took his game to another level, averaging 19.5 ppg, 6.6 apg and 6.7 rpg in 10 games played for the Iowa Wolves. Newton is currently on the Timberwolves’ NBA roster.