Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Michigan transfer Castleton thrives after joining Gators
GAINESVILLE — A cloudless, 63-degree Chamber of Commerce day awaits UF center Colin Castleton outside after he wraps up an early January Zoom call.
Winter warmth and sunshine are among the benefits of Castleton’s return home to Florida following two seasons at the University of Michigan.
“It’s in negative degrees [there] right now,” Castleton said.
Castleton’s quest to excel in basketball led him from DeLand to Ann Arbor, where the negatives continued to add up and caused him to transfer.
Turns out, Castleton’s true north was actually 1,000 miles south in Gainesville.
“I don’t think we’d be the same team if he wasn’t here,” sophomore guard Tre Mann said Monday. “Colin’s been great for us.”
Castleton’s addition has been a revelation during a challenging season for the Gators (6-4, 3-3 SEC). Coach Mike White’s squad has dropped three of four games entering Tuesday night’s home game against No. 6 Tennessee (10-1, 4-1).
Castleton has bolstered, if not carried, a beleaguered inside game on both ends of the court. The 6-foot-11, 231-pound junior enters the matchup with Vols on quite a tear, having recorded 37 points, 17 rebounds and an eye-popping 14 blocked shots during the past two games.
“He’s done a really good job being really active and erasing some mistakes,” White said.
Castleton’s stellar play has helped him also move past two unfulfilling seasons at Michigan.
Following a decorated career at Father Lopez Catholic High in Daytona Beach, Castleton shunned offers from many schools, including UF, to join iconic coach John Beilein at Michigan following a Final Four run by the 2018 Wolverines.
“He loved Coach Beilein,” recalled Eddie Miller, Castleton’s high school coach.
Castleton, of course, received no favors from his new coach and averaged just 3.4 minutes during 19 appearances as a freshman. Beilein then unexpectedly left for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, paving the way for Michigan legend Juwan Howard to coach his alma mater.
Castleton would have much to learn from Howard, an All-American power forward in Ann Arbor and 20-year NBA veteran. Yet playing opportunities proved to be hit or miss.
The inflection point arrived after Castleton contributed 10 points and four rebounds off the bench to help Michigan rally to beat Rutgers in February 2020, and then did not play during the next three games.
“He had a great attitude about it,” Miller recalled. “It was more a do-theyneed-me-here, want-mehere kind of thing.”
Meanwhile, the Gators needed some help under the basket, leading Castleton to reconnect with White.
White had doggedly pursued Castleton, the Florida 7A Player of the Year in 2018, when he was making his college choice. Upon his return, Castleton had much to prove after averaging just 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and six minutes at Michigan.
Following some modest contributions during four nonconference games, Castleton broke out during the SEC opener at Vanderbilt with 23 points on 11-of13 shooting from the field. He now leads the Gators with an average of 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds during league play while shooting a team-best 59.7%.
While sophomore Omar Payne struggles to find his rhythm in a reserve role, Castleton’s polished post game, athletic prowess and poise have established him as anchor inside.
“There are a lot of things that are falling in place right now,” he said.
Family is another one. With their son two hours up the road rather than a lengthy plane ride away, his parents — Karen and stepfather Steven Bapp — and others close to Castleton can regularly attend games.
“That definitely helped me a lot mentally, just being to see them, everyone, playing in front of them,” Castleton said. “It makes me more comfortable, I guess. It’s definitely a blessing.”
Divine intervention, though, has little to do with Castleton capitalizing on his second chance. The 20-year-old credits a level head and hard work.
“If I was playing five minutes, didn’t play a game, starting, no matter what that is, I try not to change my approach to the game,” he said. “That’s something I was always taught — make sure you have the right approach to the game every day. It’s obviously gratifying at the end of the day.”
Miller, who is now retired as Father Lopez’s coach, said Castleton’s perseverance on the long road to success makes him a valuable example for the rest of the Gators.
“I’m just really proud of him,” Miller said. “It was like a make-or-break deal for him as far as being an athlete. It hasn’t worked out the way you wanted it to, you didn’t get the minutes you wanted to get and now you have to fit in all over again. It has to be immensely rewarding for all that to pay off.
“He’s definitely a glue guy.”