Castleton returning to UF

By
Ethan Hughes
-

Second Team All-SEC center Colin Castleton will return to UF for his final season of college eligibility, he announced on Monday.

“The past couple weeks have helped me reflect on the season, as well as give me time to decide what’s next for my future,” Castleton said on Twitter. “Thank you to my family and everyone who has helped me make this decision. Everyone’s process is different, and I’m adding another chapter to mine. Gator Nation, I’m back.”

Castleton led the Gators in scoring (16.2 points per game), rebounding (nine per game) and blocked shots (2.2 per game) in 2021-22.

He transferred into Florida prior to the 2020-21 season after starting his career at Michigan. In two seasons at Florida, the Deland native has posted 13 double-doubles. He ranks among the top-10 all time in blocked shots with 116.

He tested the NBA Draft waters after the 2020-21 season and could’ve done the same this year but has opted not to. He’ll focus on fully recovering from an injured shoulder that cost him six games this past season.

He’ll provide an outstanding piece for coach Todd Golden to build his first Gators team around.

Ethan Hughes
Ethan Hughes
Ethan was born in Gainesville and has lived in the Starke, Florida, area his entire life. He played basketball for five years and knew he wanted to be a sportswriter when he was in middle school. He’s attended countless Gators athletic events since his early childhood, with baseball being his favorite sport to attend. He’s a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Florida and a 2017 graduate of Santa Fe College. He interned with the University Athletic Association’s communications department for 1 ½ years as a student and also wrote for InsideTheGators.com for two years before joining Gator Country in 2021. He is a long-suffering fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can follow him on Twitter @ethanhughes97.