Harry Fodder: Castleton Coming Back

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Colin Castleton had been toying with thoughts of returning for his COVID year for some time now, especially given the impact of his shoulder injury in the second half of the season. Missing the NCAA Tournament further fueled the notion to come back.

It took a new coach Todd Golden‘s energy and vision to put Castleton over the top.

“Coach Golden invested a lot of effort into talking with me and my family. He called his first day on the job. He flew to town and met with my family. He sold me on how much he wants to win,” Castleton told FloridaGators. .com after announcing via social media his plans to play for the Gators in 2022-23. “I think he and I have some similar character traits. We’re both humble for our opportunities, but they both have chips on our shoulder. They want to win and I love his vision for the program.”

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– Colin Castleton (@Castleton_) April 11, 2022

Castleton, the 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward and two-time second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, averaged 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and finished second in the league in blocked shots with 62 during the 2021-22 season that saw the Gators go 20-14 and fail to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. UF lost at Xavier in the second-round play of the National Invitational Tour.The season, its overall success and how it ended, did not sit well with UF’s scoring and rebounding leader.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it .. it sucked being in the NIT,” said Castleton, of Deland, Fla., A product who transferred to UF in 2020 after playing two seasons in Michigan. “We sold ourselves short this year and sold our fan base short.”

Then came a statement.

“We’re making the tournament next season, I’m telling you that right now,” he added.

The Gators probably had two losses from making the field of 68 in ’22, the results of which led Mike White to bolt after seven years on the UF guidelines for the vacant post at Georgia. In between NIT games, Florida Hired Golden, who had just led the University of San Francisco to its first NCAA berth since 1999 and now gets a likely preseason All-SEC post man on his Inaugural Gators roster.

First things first, though. Castleton will consult with the team’s medical staff and consider whether surgery is necessary to repair the shoulder injury they sustained during practice in mid-January and kept him sidelined for six games. Castleton played through some discomfort in the rest of the season, but still had some of the best games of his career – including 29 points in a loss to eventual Elite Eight foe Arkansas – on his way to carding 10 double doubles, as well as placing eighth in the SEC in scoring, third in rebounding and fourth in field-goal percentage.

Both the player and the new Coach believe Castleton can improve on those numbers, while also expanding his all-around game (and stretching his shooting range) as he works toward the next level. He is also on schedule to graduate in the summer with a degree in educational sciences.

“It’s great for the program,” Golden said. “To have a guy like Colin, who is an accomplished player and someone with a lot of success at this level, decide to come back. I think says a lot about the direction of the program in our short time here. He’s bought in, wants to be a part of it and gives us momentum. ”

Castleton, for now (and subject to change, given the transfer Portal), gives the team seven Scholarship players returning from the ’21 -22 roster, joining forwards CJ Felder and Jason Jitobohplus guards Myreon Jones, Kowacie Reeves, Niels Lane and Eli Kennedy. A trio of players – forwards Anthony Duruji (NBA Draft) and Tuongthach Gatkek (transfer), plus point guard and No. 2 scorer Tyree Appleby (transfer) – have opted to move on. In turn, Golden and his new staff have been working feverishly for the last couple of weeks with Portal prospects, having hosted a trio for the last several days. UF still has two incoming freshman signees, California forward Jalen Reed and Orlando guard Denzel Aberdeen, on track to remain with the program.

But their biggest, best and most proven acquisition (ie recommitment) officially came Monday.

“I love being a Florida Gator,” Castleton said. “And there’s going to be a different type of energy and a different way of doing it this season that I think will really help me showcase my skills set. I’m excited.”