Colin Castleton 2023 NBA draft prediction: Where will the Gators' big man land?
It's not hard to make a case for Florida Gators' Colin Castleton to be picked up on NBA draft night come the 22nd of June. The Florida native is a five-year college basketball veteran with an upside that you'd be unwise to ignore.
Castleton spent his freshman and sophomore years struggling to get game time at Michigan, and eventually entered the transfer portal and headed back to his hometown. There, he experienced a renaissance of sorts, achieving back-to-back second-team All-SEC selections in his two years at the school. He finally achieved first-team All-SEC selection as well.
Upon his arrival in Florida, the big man's minutes increased drastically, and he was finally able to showcase everything in his proverbial bag. He's averaged 16 points per game over the last two seasons, as well as over 2 blocks per game over the past three seasons and 3 per game this past year.
What can Colin Castleton expect at this year's NBA draft?
A force in the paint and a tactical defender, Castleton has the ability to impact a game on both ends of the floor. He's a dominant scorer and has proven that he's got NBA-level talent. One downside of the Florida Gator is his three-point shooting, or lack thereof. In his first four years at college, the talented baller didn't make a single three-pointer. He seemed more willing this past season, to take it on from deep more often, but even then only went 2 of 15.
The fact that he'll be 23 years old on draft night and the deep chasm in his game, that is long-range shooting are both factors that could dent Castleton's odds of going in the NBA draft. He did shoot a solid 74% from the free throw line over the last four years which shows a potential shooting upside. However, that would be a risk that an NBA team would need to be willing to take.
In the gym with @GatorsMBK 7-footer Colin Castleton (@Castleton_) for pre-draft workouts as he works on extending his shooting range.
Castleton averaged 16 PTS and 7.7 REBs to go along with a career high 2.7 ASTs and 3.0 BLKs for the Gators this season. https://t.co/wh0y9YbBIW
Castleton, who stands at 6-foot-11 and has incredible strength, has shown that he's got NBA chops. He has also rubbed shoulders with current NBA talents Tre Mann and Andrew Nembhard, and has shown that he's got what it takes to roll with the best.
If the Florida big man goes in the NBA draft, he'll be a valuable addition to the team that puts their faith in him.