Colin Castleton back at full health, now adding to his game

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The return of Florida Gators men’s basketball forward Colin Castleton is one of the biggest storylines heading into head coach Todd Golden’s first season at the helm.

The two-time All-SEC selection announced his decision to come back to UF for his final season of eligibility in April. He flirted with the NBA but ultimately decided to remain in college.

A shoulder injury that he played through last season was one of the talking points of feedback Castleton received from NBA scouts. He had surgery in the offseason and missed summer workouts while recovering.

The fifth-year senior is now healthy and ready to give it another go in the orange and blue. He was cleared to play earlier this month.

“I’m 100 percent now,” Colin Castleton told Gators Online and others. “Probably about a week or two ago, I was like really set around just being like 100 percent. And then they’re just taking me through like the progressions of getting back to full go in like the past week. We’ve been doing individual workouts, so I’ve been taking a little bit of banging and going against the pad, and coaches were hitting on me a little bit.”

Colin Castleton adding weight while adding to his game

Recovering from surgery has kept Castleton off the court for full speed action, and he said he originally lost weight after surgery. Now at full strength, he’s put the weight back on.

Adding muscle can be beneficial for him when it comes to avoiding injury near the basket.

“I’m actually at the highest weight I’ve ever been, actually,” Castleton said. “I’m 247 right now; we just weighed in (Monday). You know, I feel better than I ever have, so I’m just mentally in a good spot. And after surgery, I lost a lot of weight obviously, not being able to lift or do any type of strength and conditioning. 

“So right when I got back from the injury, and we started rehabbing, I just got straight to it. And just been doing everything I can with, like, eating the right things. I’m at the highest weight I’ve ever been.”

Castleton has shown he is a dynamic player in the frontcourt during his time in Gainesville. One thing he hasn’t showcased is his 3-point range.

Going into the 2022-23 season, Golden is incorporating shooting from deep into Castleton’s game.

“I feel like with this coaching staff and scheme they have for us, I’ll be able to showcase that,” he said. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in when I got back from my shoulder. Every day I’ve been putting the reps in, and he’s been teaching me little things to get better at shooting the ball, being confident in it.

“That’s a big thing in being able to shoot. You got to be confident, you got to believe you’re capable of doing that. So that’ll be something I’ll be able to do, and he believes in it. Whatever Coach Golden tells me to do, I’m gonna do.”

Golden called Castleton his most proven player, complimenting his leadership approach and how he holds himself and his teammates to a high standard. He added that Castleton has the “green light” to let it fly from 3.

“He has the talent and ability to do it. He has the capacity,” Golden said. “It’s not something where we had to come here and change his form. He’s been able to do it and I think having a little bit more freedom and comfort with letting it fly will go a long way for him.”

Stay tuned to Gators Online.