Florida Gators Basketball 2022-23 Player Profile: Center Colin Castleton
There's an uncharacteristic buzz surrounding Florida basketball in the preseason. It may not be a national buzz, but those close to the program can feel something is different.
Seeing drastic turnover occur from top to bottom — with head coach Mike White, his assistants and four starters departing from Gainesville — the University of Florida brought in San Francisco head coach Todd Golden to take over at the helm.
While a mass exodus usually indicates that significant time is needed to rebuild, all the right pieces have fallen into the right places. The changing of the guard at the top of the program can serve as the pivotal turning point needed to surge back from the distressing state of mediocrity experienced as of late.
In an effort to reconstruct the program to its former status of consistency and excellence achieved under Billy Donovan, Golden made it a focus to draw in talented transfers to fill the bevy of holes the roster presented.
Adding on to the promising members retained from 2021-22, the Gators have compiled a more-than-capable unit to take the floor next season.
The mixture of new and familiar faces slates them to reconcile the program sooner rather than later under the new leadership.
In anticipation of Golden's first season in charge, All Gators plans to profile the 12 scholarship players occupying spots on the roster as they look to accomplish that mission in the upcoming season.
Kyle Lofton, Trey Bonham, Denzel Aberdeen, Myreon Jones, Niels Lane, Will Richard, Riley Kugel, Alex Fudge, CJ Felder, Aleks Szymczyk and Jason Jitoboh are covered.
Now, we round out the preseason player profile series with the best for last in center Colin Castleton.
Player History
Coming out of high school at Father Lopez Christian, Castleton was viewed as one of the best center prospects in the nation. Ranked as a four-star athlete with stretch-five potential at 6-foot-10, 215 pounds, Castelton held 21 total offers to continue his playing career.
Despite heavy interest from the Gators in his initial recruitment, the Michigan Wolverines won out of the talented center in 2018, making a strong move by plucking the top 100 player out of Florida.
Castleton spent two seasons with the Wolverines but failed to see substantial playing time as other elite-level big men were in front of him.
Following the 2019-20 season, a year in which he averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest in 25 appearances, Castleton entered the transfer portal as he looked for more substantial playing time. The enrollment of true freshman Hunter Dickinson at Michigan that offseason crowded the center room Castelton was once groomed to take over.
When he hit the open market, he moved back to his home state of Florida, returning to his roots while simultaneously giving the Gators a plug at center.
The acquisition worked out for both parties.
Castleton began dominating in the ranks of the SEC using the finesse on the inside that earned him praise at the prep level and in his limited playing time in Ann Arbor, Mich. Now, growing one inch since reaching the collegiate level and adding to his frame to stand 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, Castleton is operating at an all-time high capacity.
Playing in 52 games (49 starts) in two years with Florida, Castleton averages 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in orange and blue.
Despite working through a shoulder injury last season that required surgery this offseason, Castleton was atop the priority list for Golden and Co. to retain when flipping the roster this offseason. They succeeded in doing so and will reap the benefits as Castleton has worked back to 100% prior to tip-off with Stony Brook on Monday night.
2022-23 Season Role/Projection
Castleton's return to the University of Florida for his third and final season with the Gators is a monumental one for the new staff as they inherit an uber-skilled center with NBA aspirations.
As a result, Castleton will maintain his role as the heart of the Florida unit in 2022-23 while building a foundation for where Golden and Co. hope to take the program in the coming years.
Serving as a widely acclaimed top big man in college basketball, Castleton brings an extra dimension to the Gators squad, especially on the offensive end.
Showcasing a savvy scoring prowess that involves swift footwork and a wide variety of post moves on the interior, Castleton is a difficult task for opposing big men to contain on the low post.
However, the Deland (Fla.) native isn’t confined to the inside the way he has been in recent years. Castleton expanded his skillset this offseason to show strides as a jump shooter.
Adding the ability to knock down turnaround jumpers from midrange and spot up from the top of the key and hit threes with more consistency, Castleton’s elevated himself to be a threat at all three levels.
That prowess makes him even more of an asset to the Florida unit.
Defensively, Castleton will re-assume his role as a legitimate run protector for the Gators, looking to add to his 116 career blocked shots this season. He currently sits as No. 10 all-time in Florida history for blocked shots.
While other members of the team will likely receive recognition for their performance above expectations, no one walks into the year expected to do more than Castleton.
And, if years past are any indication, the fifth-year senior will answer the challenge to produce at an elite level for Florida as they attempt to return to the NCAA Tournament in year one of the new regime.
He will likely play at or over 30 minutes a night due to his talents and the relative lack of depth in the front court, with just Jason Jitoboh working in rotation with him at the five.
That is a workload he’s excelled with in the past, and the new staff expects him to do no different this season. They will ask him to be more aggressive on both ends of the floor as a rebounder and more consistently physical than in years past.
All in all, Castleton will be the heartbeat for a rejuvenated program in 2022-23.
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