STORRS, Connecticut — UConn men's basketball has announced its recruiting class for 2023-24 and it is loaded with top talent. The group of players has received so much attention that it's earned a consensus rank as a Top Five recruiting class.
The players include Stephon Castle, Jayden Ross, Solomon Ball, Jaylin Stewart and Youssouf Singare.
“It’s a fantastic group who each bring a unique skill set,” UConn Coach Dan Hurley said. “They have the type of make-up and pedigree and the talent level of the guys who really flourished for us as young players. I think we’ve got this period now, where our talent level can potentially look like past teams at UConn that truly had national championship aspirations.”
Stephon Castle:
Castle is a 6'6" point guard from Covington, Georgia. He committed to UConn a year ago and has been consistently ranked among the country's Top 25. He averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, leading Newton High School to the Final Four of the GHSA playoffs.
Castle also helped USA basketball win the gold medal in the 2022 FIBA U18 America Championships.
“Steph is one of the top-rated point guards in the class and we expect him to be next in the line of great UConn guards. He is blessed with unique positional size and strength, which gives him tremendous potential as a two-way player," said Coach Hurley.
Jayden Ross:
Ross is a 6'7" wing from Bristow, Virginia. He averaged 18.5 points and 8.6 rebounds for the St. James School last season. Ross, who plays AAU ball for Team Melo, is spending his senior year at Long Island Lutheran before coming to UConn in 2023-24.
Ross, at one point, was only a 6-foot guard. But after a huge growth spurt, he became a versatile three-level scoring wing.
“Jayden is a terrific student, he’s the product of an amazing family. He’s an explosive athlete, a big wing who can really use his shooting as a weapon on the offensive end. He’s got a great upside," said Coach Hurley.
Solomon Ball:
Ball is a 6'4" guard from Leesburg, Virginia. Ball was teammates with Ross at St. James and on Team Melo. He is an athletic guard who can play on or off the ball and is a solid three-point shooter. Ball averaged 25.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season at St. James and over 16 points per game for Team Melo. Ballis ranked Top 50 in the country.
“Solo is that rare type of athlete who plays with an athletic rage, with incredible competitive fire and spirit. He’s a combo guard with excellent two-way skills – a player who can score at all three levels. Solo has a championship pedigree and we anticipate a great career for him at UConn," said Coach Hurley.
Jaylin Stewart:
Stewart is a 6'7" wing from Seattle, Washington who played at James A. Garfield High School and was ranked a Top 60 recruit. He averaged 16.4 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit, playing for Seattle Rotary and was a finalist for the 2021 USA Basketball U16 National Team.
“Jaylin is just uniquely talented, with every offensive skill you can think of. He has an awesome blend of size, strength and skill for a perimeter player. He is a natural basketball player with an elevated feel for the game and we feel he has the potential to be a star,” said Stewart.
Youssouf Singare:
Singare is a 7'0" center from Bronx, N.Y. He's originally from Mali, where current UConn co-captain Adama Sanogo is from, but now lives in the Bronx, attending Our Saviour Lutheran. Singare is knowns as a shot-blocking rim protector, an elite rebounder and an extremely athletic big man who runs the floor well. He has been ranked as high as the No. 18 big man in the 2023 class.
“Youssouf not only brings ideal size and athleticism to our frontcourt, but he is a competitor who plays with an impressive spirit and focus. He is an engaged defender who can protect the rim and rebound at an elite level and he is rapidly developing offensive confidence. Besides his basketball skills, Youssouf is an exceptional communicator who can galvanize his team on the floor," said Coach Hurley.
Daniel Dashefsky is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at ddashefsky@fox61.com.
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