Stephon Castle, PJ Hall Lead NBA Draft Prospects Thursday Night

NBA Draft prospects played pivotal roles in Thursday night’s Sweet 16 bouts.

Mar 28, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles the ball / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The first four Sweet 16 games were played on Thursday night, with several contests going down to the wire.

NBA Draft prospects continue to litter the field, hoping to raise their stock with one final push for the national title.

Here were a few of the top performances from Thursday night:

Stephon Castle, UConn

Castle has arguably been at his most impressive in the NCAA Tournament, pouring on 16 points on five-for-eight shooting in a 30-point blowout Thursday night. 

Impressively, he finished with 11 rebounds, showcasing his potential as a strength creator at the wing in an all-around performance for the Huskies.

PJ Hall, Clemson

Hall helped to upset second-seeded Arizona on Thursday with his best performance of the tournament. 

The senior posted 17 points, eight rebounds and a steal while shooting seven-for-15 from the field in 31 minutes played. His impact as a big has been felt, and he might be playing himself from a fringe first rounder to a near-lock.

In the Elite 8, Hall will have a tough matchup versus Alabama.

Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois

Perhaps no player had greater impact on the night than Shannon, who posted a scorching 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting. He connected on four of 10 triples, adding five rebounds, three steals and two assists in helping No. 3 Illinois upset No. 2 Iowa State.

Illinois will match up with UConn in the Elite 8 in what should be a battle between two of the best remaining teams.

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