By TOBIAS BASS
After leading the Team USA U-16 Junior National Team to its 7th straight gold medal, class of 2024 guard David Castillo is one of the hottest names on the recruiting trail.
Castillo, ranked by ESPN.com as the No. 12 overall prospect in the class of 2024, called his Team USA experience ‘surreal’.
“Playing for the country is definitely a moment to remember forever, definitely special,” Castillo said. “We all could play. We all knew how to play basketball at a high level and that’s why we won gold.”
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard from Bartlesville (OK), is up to eight offers after picking up an offer from Oklahoma Monday, joining Illinois, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Tulsa and UNLV. He broke down each school:
Illinois: “They love using their guards. It’s great program and I love how they play.”
Kansas State: “I love Coach Chris Lowery and how he makes me feel about the program.”
Oklahoma State: “Coach Mike Boyton and assistant coach Keiton Page keep in touch and I love their style of play.”
Texas Tech: “I love their defensive style of play and fans.”
Tulsa: “It’s my hometown. I love the entire coaching staff and plan on visiting soon.”
UNLV: “I love assistant coach Carlin Hartman and love coach Kevin Kruger and their fans.”
Oklahoma: “I love coach Porter Moser had a chance to connect with him pretty much the entire summer while playing with his son Ben Moser.”
He is also receiving interest from Gonzaga, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
“I try to keep playing my game and dominate whenever I get the chance,” Castillo said. “I want to show the country that Oklahoma is slept on.”
Heading into his junior year, expectations are sky high for Castillo after an impressive summer.
“I think I showcased my abilities to shoot the ball at a high clip, along with my pace in the way I play and my playmaking,” Castillo said. “I’ve definitely worked on my court vision, being able to make cross court passes at a high level and I want to win state this year.”
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