Colin Castleton

Colin Reed Castleton, born on May 25th, 2000, has been keenly making his mark as an illustrious American professional basketball player. Currently, he is bringing his exceptional skills to the fore for the Los Angeles Lakers, a professional basketball team that is a part of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Simultaneously, he is contracted with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League through a two-way contract.

Looking back on his journey, Castleton had quite a remarkable college basketball stint with both the Michigan Wolverines and the Florida Gators. Raised in DeLand, Florida, Castleton started his journey of pursuing basketball more seriously during his time at Father Lopez Catholic High School, situated in Daytona Beach, Florida. His senior year saw Castleton rise to the top, with average game statistics of 24.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.6 block. This fantastic performance even fetched him a nomination as a finalist for Florida’s Mr. Basketball Award and the Class 7A Player of the Year.

Rated as a four-star recruit, Castleton committed to enriching his basketball acumen at Michigan, choosing the Wolverines over the Illinois, while he also received offers from prominent universities such as Clemson, Georgia, Purdue, Florida, Florida State, and Xavier.

During his time at Michigan, Castleton featured in 19 games as a true freshman, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Moving onto his sophomore year, he fairly improved with an average of 3.1 points playing off the bench, with a solid shooting percentage of 54%. Additionally, he managed 2.4 rebounds over 25 games. Once the season reached its conclusion, Castleton decided to venture into new territories, entering the transfer portal and proceeding with a transfer to the University of Florida, a college that was initially among the offers he got right after high school.

Given a waiver that allowed him immediate eligibility to play for the Florida Gators without having to spend a season on the bench per the NCAA transfer rules, Castleton shone brilliantly during the season. He made history as the seventh Gator player to earn Southeastern Conference (SEC) player of the week honors at least twice in a single season. The end of the regular season saw Castleton named as a second-team All-SEC player due to him averaging 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, alongside a conference-high of 2.3 blocks.

In the subsequent CBD season, Castleton declared for the 2021 NBA draft and maintained his college eligibility. Later, he decided to withdraw from the draft and returned to Florida instead. The season, in turn, saw him perform remarkably well over time, earning him his third SEC Player of the Week honor in a grand fashion on November 14, 2021, with his overall contribution of 15 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks contributing majorly to a 71–55 win against Florida State. By the end of his senior year, Castleton received his elevation to the Second Team All-SEC.

Moving the chronicle to January 16, 2023, Castleton garnered his fourth career SEC Player of the Week award, making him the second Gator in history to achieve this honor, right after Vernon Maxwell. This achievement took into account his statistical prowess of 16 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocked shots against Missouri on January 14. Tragedy struck on February 15, 2023, when Castleton broke his hand in a win against Ole Miss and had to bow out for the rest of the season. Despite this setback, he had been excelling before the injury with an impressive average of 16.5 points (making him third in the SEC), 7.9 rebounds (sixth), and 3.0 blocks (first) per game. Moments before the injury, he had been in an enviable form with the averages of 24.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game over his last four games. Not one to be overlooked, the coaches recognized him as a first-team All-SEC selectee.

The summer of 2023 and July 3 specifically marked an important chapter in his career as Castleton signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. This paved the way for him to become an integral part of the Lakers team that clinched victory in the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament game. Not only does he display raw talent and vigour on the court but with a charming persona and relentless spirit, Castleton continues to impress and inspire both on and off the court.