Why K-State basketball guard David Castillo volunteered to leave starting lineup
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- David Castillo asked coach Tang to move him to sixth-man role to spark team.
- Castillo’s bench scoring restored K-State’s bigger lineup and improved defense.
- Team record favors Castillo as reserve: 6-2 off bench versus 0-2 starts.
It came as a surprise when David Castillo wasn’t in the starting lineup for Kansas State when it hosted Mississippi Valley State on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Not only has the sophomore been one of the most improved players on the roster this season, he has been one of K-State’s best guards, period.
Castillo is averaging 12.9 points, 2.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds for the Wildcats. One could argue he is the second-best player on the team behind leading scorer PJ Haggerty. A guy like that deserves a spot in the starting lineup ... unless he would rather come off the bench.
Turns out, Castillo would rather be K-State’s sixth man.
“Honestly, yeah, I do,” Castillo said after he scored 19 points during K-State’s 108-49 victory over MVSU. “I feel like I can be a spark plug and help the guys by coming off the bench. I feel like having a good bench is very important on a good team. I’m definitely more comfortable. You saw the result.”
Castillo went on to say he asked Tang to move him to the bench, because he thought that would be best for the team.
Tang was impressed by the selfless request.
“That just speaks the world of his character,” Tang said, “and how much he loves his team and (how much) he wants to win. I was super proud of him.”
Castillo moving to the bench also allowed K-State to return to a bigger lineup that features Khamari McGriff and Elias Rapieque at forward.
The four-guard lineup that the Wildcats had been using with Castillo starting wasn’t as effective.
Tang noted K-State was averaging 95 points per game early in the season because the Wildcats were getting key contributions from Castillo off the bench. When he became a starter, K-State’s bench points declined and the Wildcats averaged 67 points per game.
For that reason, it appears that Castillo will function as K-State’s sixth man for the foreseeable future.
“The fact that he can score the basketball allows you to bring someone off the bench that gives you a scoring punch,” Tang said. “It puts a different kind of pressure out there, because they’re subbing and maybe getting a little weaker, and we’re subbing and maybe getting stronger.”
It’s a small sample size, but K-State is 0-2 when Castillo starts and 6-2 when he comes off the bench.
“He is a great part of our team, whether he starts or comes off the bench” Haggerty said. “But him coming off the bench is a spark. He can shoot it, he can shoot it and he can guard. He just helps in a lot of ways.”