Tag: Colin Castleton

NBA combine invitations suggest who could be heading back to the NCAA

We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.

We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.

While there is nothing final about our projections, now that those lists are finalized we know the names of the most notable players who have declared for the draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility.

These prospects, who are all classified as “testing the waters” at this point, are the ones facing the toughest decision for their pro future but may have more clarity now than they did during the college basketball season.

Boston Celtics reportedly to work out University of Florida forward Colin Castleton

The Florida product will not hire an agent to retain college eligibility.

The Boston Celtics pre-draft workout schedule evidently continues unabated, with Florida big man Colin Castleton slated to work out with the team according to Skornorth’s Darren Wolfson.

One of a number of 2021 NBA draft prospects who would project as a fringe candidate to be taken in the second round where the Celtics have a No. 45 pick, the Gator center is more likely a potential Boston camp invitee should he remain in the draft. Testing the waters without hiring an agent, this workout could be for both sides as much about establishing a relationship for the future as it is about the 2021 draft, though of course, that’s likely dependent on what sort of feedback the Florida big gets.

Castleton transferred from Michigan after his sophomore season, and put up 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in his junior season in Gainesville.

A 6-foot-11, 230 lb lanky big man whose game away from the basket needs development, the Daytona Beach native has decent enough shooting touch to intrigue given his size and recent propensity to protect the rim.

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This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Here’s where Tre Mann lands in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft

The latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony shows Tre Mann falling out of the lottery to the Hawks with the 19th pick.

Former Florida guard Tre Mann has seen his stock improve tremendously since he almost single-handedly led the Gators through the postseason. The team got knocked out in the second round, but Mann averaged 21.3 points per game in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, improving upon his already impressive season average of 16.

Unsurprisingly, Mann made the decision to enter the NBA draft with an agent after the season, forfeiting his remaining college eligibility with the Gators in the process. He’s expected to end a drought of Florida players being drafted into the NBA that dates back to 2013. He’s also very likely to be the first UF first-round pick since Bradley Beal went third overall in 2012.

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But where exactly will Mann land? There’s not exactly a clear consensus. Some mock drafts show the former five-star recruit from The Villages landing near the tail end of the lottery, while others show him falling deeper into the first round. The only consistency is that most prognosticators don’t expect Mann to fall beyond the first 30 picks.

The draft order is far from set, as the NBA playoff field was only finalized with Golden State’s loss to Memphis on Friday night in the eight-seed play-in game. We now know which teams will be in the lottery, but that’s about it. But based on current projections, the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony shows Mann falling out of the lottery to the Atlanta Hawks with the 19th pick.

Finding a combo guard who can play on or off the ball and complement star point guard Trae Young could very well be a priority for the Hawks. Mann is a promising pick-and-roll ball handler whose size and 40% 3-point shooting will allow him to play in a variety of lineup configurations.

This would be an interesting spot for Mann. As Givony mentions, the Hawks already have one of the best up-and-coming guards in Trae Young, who (as his name suggests) is only 22. Young primarily runs the point, and successfully, at that. He’s averaging over 25 points per game in 2020-21 and led the Hawks to a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Adding Mann to the equation would give Atlanta quite a formidable backcourt, but it would be interesting to see how he and Young would coexist considering they’re both facilitators.

NEXT: Were any other Gators mentioned?

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Center Colin Castleton will be a leader for Gators if he returns from the draft

Castleton had a breakout junior season at Florida after not producing much at Michigan, and if he returns from the draft, he could shine.

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Name: Colin Castleton

Number: 12

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Deland, Fla.

High School: Father Lopez Catholic

Previous School: Michigan

Twitter: @Castleton_

2020-21 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST BLK PTS
24 59.7 6.4 1.1 2.3 12.4

Overview:

A four-star recruit and a top 150 recruit on the 247Sports Composite as a prospect out of Deland, Castleton originally signed with Michigan in the class of 2018. He appeared in 19 games as a freshman and didn’t make much of an impact, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds.

He saw a bit of an increase in production in 2019-20, but not by much. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds as a backup, and following the cancelation of the season, he entered the transfer portal.

Castleton found a home with the Gators, who were looking for another big man transfer after the departure of Kerry Blackshear Jr. He came out of nowhere in his first season in Gainesville, starting 21 of 24 games and averaging 12.4 points in addition to a team-high 6.4 rebounds. His 2.25 blocks per game ranked second in the SEC, and he took home a pair of conference Player of the Week awards.

Following his breakout junior season, he declared for the draft without hiring an agent to retain his eligibility. He’s expected to return before the deadline to withdraw, where he would be one of the few familiar faces on UF’s roster next season.

Video:

Take a look at how these four Gators fared in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft

Florida could send as many as four players to the NBA this offseason, but questions about pro readiness are still haunting three of them.

With the collegiate regular season and NCAA tournament in the rearview mirror, the collective attention of the basketball world has turned to the upcoming draft. Scheduled for July 29th, there’s plenty of time for the experts to stew and write mock drafts playing out all kinds of scenarios. In ESPN’s latest effort to get a picture of what the draft may look like, two Florida players were selected, while two other were unpicked.

Unsurprisingly, the highest-drafted Gator was guard Tre Mann, who was selected by Charlotte with the 18th pick in the first round. Mann played his best when he wasn’t pressed into service to lead the offense from the point, which makes Charlotte a good landing spot for him.

The Hornets’ offense is lead by LaMelo Ball at the point. Ball, drafted third overall last year on the merit of his size and otherworldly ball skills, will hardly be unseated by Mann. Instead, the former Gator could be his dynamic running mate and part-time backup. After all, he’s more of a shooter than a creator on offense. Between the two of them, the Hornets could have a lot of fun creating space on the floor or bullying smaller guards in the paint.

NEXT: Who else gets drafted?

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Take a look at how these three Gators fared in this NBA mock draft

Tre Mann achieves his dream of playing in the NBA, while the other two Gators who filed for the draft go unpicked in this recent mock draft.

Now that college basketball’s regular season has drawn to a close and the NCAA tournament is coming to its climax, the NBA draft season is steadily picking up steam. The upcoming class is widely praised for its immense top-flight talents, outside of that elite group, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the 2021 NBA draft.

In Bleacher Report’s latest full two-round mock, departing Gator Tre Mann was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 23rd pick in the first round. Mann, a five-star recruit who struggled his freshman season, benefitted from added size and parlayed his growth into a highly productive season.

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Here’s what Bleacher Report had to say about the pick:

23. Denver Nuggets: Tre Mann (Florida, PG/SG, Sophomore)

Mann averaged 21.3 points in four games between both postseason tournaments, giving scouts more glimpses of shot-creation and shooting versatility. It’s worth questioning if he’s an effective enough playmaker to be used as a primary ball-handler, but he still offers an exciting mix of off-the-dribble scoring and setup ability for a combo guard.

The Nugs could use a more effective backup for star point guard Jamal Murray than Facundo Campazzo, but Murray is a 35-minute per game player and they’re also carrying multiple highly paid players at the shooting guard position. That makes Mann – an exciting shooter who isn’t a natural facilitator – an awkward fit with the team, who would seem better off targeting a big man to replace the aging Paul Millsap.

NEXT: What about Scottie Lewis and Colin Castleton?

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This key player for Florida will test NBA draft waters

Forward Colin Castleton announced on Sunday that he will test the NBA draft waters this year, declaring for it but not hiring an agent.

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Mike White and his Florida Gators basketball program are in danger of losing another key piece of their rotation from a year ago.

Just days after three players announced they were transferring and talented sophomore Tre Mann declared for the NBA draft, a forward is set to also test the waters. Forward Colin Castleton announced on Sunday that he will test the NBA draft waters this year, declaring for it but not hiring an agent.

The key words in Castleton’s message below are that he’s not hiring an agent which allows him to retain his eligibility. That means he can test the waters by talking to scouts to get a feel for where his draft stock is and return to Florida.

The former Michigan commit transferred to Florida after two years with the Wolverines after finding himself buried on their depth chart. In his lone season so far with Florida, Castelton averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

In the NCAA Tournament, Castleton recorded double-doubles in the Gators’ two games including scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds against Virginia tech.

It would be a little shocking to see him stay in the draft at this point as getting feedback will be key for him. He could take that feedback he learns from teams and try to improve in his senior season in Gainesville.

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WATCH: Colin Castleton denies the shot in crunch time

One of the biggest reasons the game got extended into overtimne was a clutch defensive play by center Colin Castleton with a huge block.

Florida’s first-round game against Virginia Tech has been a tight one which after 40 minutes of back-and-forth between the two teams, the two teams headed into overtime all knotted up.

One of the biggest reasons the game got extended into the extra period was a clutch defensive play by center Colin Castleton with a little more than a minute left to play to deny the Hokies a shot at the rim. Off a high pick-and-roll play, VT guard Tyece Radford drove hard to the rim looking for a dunk over the 6-foot-11-inch transfer from Michigan.

He was denied.

The block helped the Gators maintain the edge as the game came down to the free-throw line in the final minute. Hopefully, the effort was enough for Florida to eventually outlast Virginia Tech and give them a shot at the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round on Sunday.

Fun facts for Florida vs Virginia Tech in the 2021 NCAA Tournament

Betting odds for Florida vs Virginia Tech NCAA Tournament Round 1, per BetMGM

Everything you need to know for Florida vs Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament

Brackets. Are. BACK.

It’s that time again – when dunks, brackets and buzzer-beaters inspire widespread incidents of March Madness. Get the jump on your friends by filling out your selections now!

In between all the games, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.

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Colin Castleton joins an impressive list with second SEC Player of the Week honor

Florida’s center is having a breakout season in his first year as a transfer from Michigan. He now joins an exclusive list of UF players.

Florida center Colin Castleton‘s efforts in recent games haven’t gone unnoticed. After a big game on Saturday in UF’s road upset over No. 11 West Virginia, he’s earned his second SEC Player of the Week honor of the season.

Castleton led the Gators with 21 points against the Mountaineers, and he also had seven rebounds and five blocks. He came up clutch at the free-throw line when his team needed him, converting on all nine of his attempts (seven of which were in the second half).

In the first game of the week against Vanderbilt, he was limited by foul trouble, but he still ended up in double figures scoring with all 13 of his points coming in the second half.

With multiple conference Player of the Week titles under his belt, he joins an impressive fraternity of Florida players to do so in one season.

He’s the first Gator with multiple POW awards since 2017-18, when Jalen Hudson had three. Scottie Wilbekin and Michael Frazier each had two during UF’s Final Four season in 2013-14, as did Joakim Noah during the first championship run in 2005-06. It had only been done twice, by Dan Cross and Vernon Maxwell, before that.

Castleton’s play has elevated the Gators’ entire team, and he is stepping into the leadership role that has been somewhat vacant since Keyontae Johnson‘s collapse. How far Florida goes this season will likely depend on whether or not he can keep it up.

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How does Colin Castleton stack up with other transfers?

The Michigan transfer is taking advantage of the change of scenario, and he’s having a phenomenal first season in Gainesville.

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Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Florida’s basketball season so far has been the emergence of center Colin Castleton. He transferred to the Gators after a lackluster start to his collegiate career at Michigan. Not much of a contributor there, he wasn’t even expected to be eligible to play this year.

But the NCAA approved his waiver at the last minute, and Florida has been much better for it.

He’s averaging 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and he’s the kind of big man UF has been in search of for years. He’s a force offensive on the inside, and he’s a phenomenal rim protector.

His play isn’t lost on the national analysts, either. In a rundown of how each transfer has performed this season, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello praised Castleton, placing him in the “needed a change of scenery” category.

Colin Castleton, Florida: In two seasons at Michigan, Castleton started one game and played double-digit minutes just seven times. He scored in double figures twice in 46 games. Eleven games into his career in Gainesville, Castleton has been one of the best big men in the SEC. He is averaging 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks — and those numbers are even better since SEC play began. In his past seven games, Castleton is averaging 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

Interestingly, former Gators point guard Andrew Nembhard, who is averaging 9.1 points and 4.1 assists with Gonzaga, isn’t mentioned in the article.

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