Kansas State Basketball: David Castillo Commits to the Wildcats!

Another day, another 5* recruit for the Tang gang.

Seriously y’all, this is getting out of hand. Castillo is a 6’1, 170 pound combo guard out of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he’s the 20th best player, the 3rd best combo guard, and the overall best player in Oklahoma for the 2024 class (wait, what...class of 2024....I don’t even want to know what year this guy was born, it’s too much for my aging brain to comprehend). Castillo is a winner, bringing home two gold medals while representing team USA (thus far). Kansas State beat out 15 other schools for his commitment, including Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

This is a strange new recruiting world for the Wildcats.

Clent with the Assist?

Clent Stewart is David’s high school coach. He also played guard for the Wildcats from 04-08. He averaged 3.3 assists during his stay in Manhattan, but this could the most important dime of his career.

I’m not saying that Castillo doesn’t come to K-State with a different head coach, but having Stewart as a coach, in addition to Coach Tang’s open style of play and thrilling March run couldn’t have hurt.

Skill Set

This dude is a killer on offense.

He can score on all 3 levels. His range and soft, high arcing jumper will remind you a little of Mr. New York City, but he’s also adept at getting to the rim, where he can finish with either hand. He also possesses a nasty floater that he uses to tease big men. They come over for a shot block only to see the ball float a centimeter over their fingers and fall gently through the hoop.

He reminds me a little of Purdue’s Carsen Edwards. He’s a built like a point guard, but plays more like a 2. He can pass like a point guard, but that’s not his first inclination. It’ll be interesting to see if he plays the point, or if he’s paired with a more of a pass first point guard like 2023 Dai Dai Ames in a smallish back court....but that’s a problem for two seasons down the road.

What’s Next?

K-State is in the final group of several top level 2013 transfer guards including Max Abmas and Tylor Perry. These are all immediate 2023 problems. Getting Castillo on board early for the 2024 should pay major dividends. As I mentioned above, he plays on team USA with a bounty of other top level 2024 guys. That could be an interesting talent vein for Coach Tang and company to further mine.