Kornacki: The Stories Behind Castleton Joining Teske as a Scoring Force
3/1/2019 10:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Now, be honest. Did you expect to see the University of Michigan men's basketball team's centers combine for 35 points in one game this season?
However, against all odds, it happened Thursday night (Feb. 28) in an 82–53 dismantling of Nebraska.
Jon Teske had a career-high 22 points (swishing all three three-point attempts) and added 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Colin Castleton, the 6-foot-11 freshman from Daytona Beach, Florida, poured in 11 points and added three rebounds. He had only played in three previous Big Ten Conference games, and he matched his point total for the entire season with six in the first half. But rest assured, he can score. He averaged 24.5 as a senior at Father Lopez Catholic High.
Brandon Johns Jr. also scored two points in the pivot late in the game, grabbing a rebound and putting it back up and in.
The No. 9 Wolverines (25-4, 14-4 Big Ten) haven't had a dual scoring explosion at center like this since last year's Big Ten championship game, when Moritz Wagner had 17 and Teske had a breakout game with 14 points.
That came against a Purdue team with a vaunted front line with two seven-footers, and this outburst came against a Cornhusker unit that depends on a pair of 6-foot-8 front line players in Isaiah Roby and Tanner Borchardt.
Castleton had a breakout game against Nebraska, scoring a career-best 11 points, while adding three rebounds and one block.
So, it's now Castleton's challenge to prove he can do this on a somewhat consistent basis against bigger opponents. But this performance was a start. He's going to be on scouting reports from here on out, and there's no denying his confidence is growing.
The one thing Wagner, Teske, Castelton, Johns and Austin Davis have in common is their position coach. Saddi Washington is in his third year of coaching what he refers to as "The B.I.G. Boys," and the results have been remarkable. Though, credit strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson with a major assist, too.
Wagner barely played as a freshman, but he emerged as a force down the stretch of his sophomore season and left after his junior year to become the first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Teske didn't show the early flashes Wagner did, though, and scored just five points in 20 games as a freshman. Teske seemed to have two left feet on the court and little potential. However, he also emerged as a sophomore and has come into his own as a junior.
Now Castleton -- nicknamed "Swaggy C" by Wolverine assistant coach Luke Yaklich -- has a slight edge on Johns, who had eight points and eight rebounds against Indiana two months ago.
What has Washington seen in Castelton of late that indicated a breakout game was possible?
"Colin, like the rest of the young guys, has been really diligent," said Washington. "He's just getting better every day, and we talked a lot about when the opportunity comes, you'll be ready for it. I think today was a great example of Colin's work paying off, and he was able to put it on display at a big moment. We needed him to get some real-time, live-game moments against some quality competition. And he played well today."
Castleton also has a three-point shot, but he shot everything down low against Nebraska, making five of seven shots.
"We develop it, his ability to shoot from the perimeter," said Washington. "But we're grooming him from the inside out, getting him a comfort level around the basket, then mid-range, and up to the three.
"I'm just so proud of him because he's worked hard, he's stayed the course and he believed. We've been trying to develop through him, and if he continues to grow, this team is going to fulfill its potential."
Castleton posted up his man for the first basket, got a lofted pass from Jordan Poole for the second, and got his third on a putback of his own miss.
The most dramatic points for Castleton came on a feed from point guard Zavier Simpson, who had 10 assists. Castleton grabbed another high-arc pass, went up against two defenders, and scored while getting fouled by the very athletic Nana Akenten, who came crashing to the court and was slow to get up. Castelton made the free throw for a three-point play.
After missing a flying, two-handed dunk, Castleton scored his final basket with another putback shot.
All the hard work had finally paid off.
"It's just been letting everything soak in and listening to what they tell me every day," said Castleton. "Having the right attitude and mindset is a big thing. To develop and get better, you have to have the right mindset.
"Then when you have the opportunity, you've got to go do it. They tell me, 'Whenever you get your name called, be ready and do what you're supposed to do.' People don't see all the work we do in practice. We work on skill work. We work on having a good motor, having a good attitude. Then we can shine when we get opportunities."
John Beilein credits big man position coach Washington for the group's continued improvement all season.
Head coach John Beilein said Washington worked with Castleton on his footwork for 45 minutes long before the game. The coaches knew Castleton would get that "opportunity" against the Cornhuskers because Isaiah Livers (12 points, 10 rebounds) was going to have to replace small forward Charles Matthews (sprained ankle) in the starting lineup. Livers (6-foot-7) was not going to be playing center against Nebraska even though it's a team he's suited to play at that spot.
Castleton subbed for Teske five minutes into the game and promptly scored three baskets in a span of 3:17.
Teske scored in double figures in both halves. He scored on dunks, putbacks, finger rolls, and those threes. He's scored in double figures 13 times, averages 9.7 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds (14th in the Big Ten), and leads the conference with 2.2 blocks per game.
The 7-foot-1 junior from Medina, Ohio, now expects to have games like the one he had against Nebraska.
"I would hope so," Washington said of the expectation. "He's very much a centerpiece of what we do on both ends of the floor. I'm just so proud of him and his continued development. It was good to see him have some early success and feed off of it. You see more and more of his swag from one game to the next."
That's evidenced by the bow-and-arrow shot he quickly snaps off after every trey he makes.
"I think the first time I did it was at Wisconsin," said Teske. "My best friend and roommate, Luke (Wilson, a reserve guard), said we had to come up with something to do after my threes. He came up with a couple of dumb ideas, and I said, 'No, we can't do that. We can't do that.' Then he said, 'How about a bow and arrow?' He always gives me crap because he gets no credit for it, but it's all fun."
Simpson went wild after Teske dunked on 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas in helping Michigan beat Purdue for the 2018 Big Ten Tournament title, and Teske reciprocated with emotion no one expected from the guy nicknamed "Big Sleep." Castleton had a similar interaction with Simpson after scoring over a pair of Cornhuskers.
Castleton says Simpson's leadership has been a major factor in his growth as a freshman this season.
"He's helped me a lot," said Castleton. "[Simpson's] got that pit bull in him, and that's rubbing off on me. I'm getting more aggressive and trying to be a tough guy once in a while. Why not? You've got to show you're tough in practice and that this is something you want."
Castleton said there were "down times" when he wasn't playing, but he made sure to quickly adjust his attitude. Then, about one week ago, his belief ramped up from the way he was playing in practices.
Washington "pushes me every day in practice," said Castleton, and got him to quit putting his head down after poor plays. Washington gives him all that individual work, too.
Teske said "we all connect" with Washington, and they're willing to listen because he's so knowledgeable. "Saddi does a great job of coaching us," he added.
Castleton also is growing by playing Teske in practices just as Teske did in going against Wagner.
"He's making me so much better as a player," said Castleton, "considering I've never played anyone as big as him. And just being able to finish around a 7-foot-1 guy, I mean he gets some blocks, but he's one of the best centers in the nation. He helps me a lot.
"I'm confident in myself and feel I can do whatever this team needs me to do. I'm ready to help this team out and help us win."
Beilein said he limited Teske to 33 percent of the plays in a recent practice "because that gives him permission to teach" Castleton, Johns and Davis.
Teske said: "Colin played really well and has been working at his game all year. He's never sulked about not playing, keeps his head up and keeps working. He's come a long way and showed that tonight."
Beilein noted on Castleton: "He's so big and long and has explosion in his game." The coach said he can't envision Castleton not playing in a game the rest of the way.
Opportunity finally presented itself to Castleton, who took one giant leap through that door to more playing time.
