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- Wisconsin Colonial 1974
- Buff & Blue Club
Offline - Registered: 11/11/2023
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Castro 18 and 9 (9-12 from the floor) with 2 assists and a block. And he took a 3! But missed it.
Interesting to see what's next for him. Hope it's a long career in professional basketball somewhere.
- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
GW 2005 Alumna wrote:
Rafael Castro named West MVP of The College All star Game!
And he looked great! I’m proud!
An awesome guy and a great GW career
Lot of mock drafts have Slim potential 2nd round NBA pick, this was a good showcase for RC
Bravo!!
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Thread Starter- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Here's an NBA Draft Scouting Report on Slim
Rafael Castro has a rare blend of athleticism and feel. The 6’10” big man possesses a level of speed you don’t often find at the center position. Whether he’s sprinting out on the open floor or rolling to the rim in the blink of an eye, Castro knows how to weaponize his quickness. Plus, he’s an excellent leaper with soft hands who loves to dunk the ball. Per Synergy, he ranks in the 85th percentile in roll man efficiency and the 93rd percentile in transition efficiency.
It’s tough for defenses to slow him down, and they often resort to fouling him (.848 FTr). This blend of tools and production in common, low-maintenance play types for big men gives him a baseline level of offensive appeal.What takes things to the next level, though, is Castro’s playmaking. Between this year and last, he’s tallied a 13.6 AST%, slinging 1.7 APG to 1.4 TOV. Castro can operate as a hub at the top of the key, reading the floor before finding open shooters and cutters. Plus, if an opposing big man plays him too tight, he might be able to turn on the jets and simply blow past them.
All the better, his functional handle and ability to keep his eyes up on the move make him a dangerous passer on the go, too. He’s not just a standstill guy who accrues assists by making prescribed passes during the course of a set play—he can genuinely put it on the floor and read defenses as they collapse. Few players have both Castro’s rim-running prowess and playmaking skill.There’s reason for intrigue defensively, too. Few big men can generate pick-six possessions quite like Castro.
His speed allows him to dart into passing lanes before sending home a dunk in transition. His 2.5 STL% last year was impressive, but this year, that number has jumped to 4.2%, and outlier number for his position. Rotationally, he covers ground more like a wing than a big. His lateral agility enables him to switch seamlessly onto smaller players. Castro’s bounce shows up on this end, too, as able to soar for highlight reel rejections around the basket (5.4 BLK%).
Last edited by The Dude (4/10/2026 6:18 pm)
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Thread Starter- Free Quebec
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Castro to play in the Portsmouth Invitational. If he plays as well as he did in that all star game, maybe he can get a combine invite.
His team is
Castro
Jalen Washington, Vandy
Tobi Lawal, Virginia tech (former VCU)
Cade Tyson, Minn
Jaden Henley, Grand Canyon
Corey Camper, Nevada
Meechie Johnson, South Carolina
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa St
- Gwmayhem
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Re: The emergence of Castro
There's additional information on the Slim to Portsmouth thread for those who are interested in watching his games.
- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Castro to play in the Portsmouth Invitational. If he plays as well as he did in that all star game, maybe he can get a combine invite.
His team is
Castro
Jalen Washington, Vandy
Tobi Lawal, Virginia tech (former VCU)
Cade Tyson, Minn
Jaden Henley, Grand Canyon
Corey Camper, Nevada
Meechie Johnson, South Carolina
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa St
Way to go RC!!
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Thread Starter- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Castro excelled the last few days playing against NBA draft hopefuls
Seeing several mocks suggesting 2nd Round NBA pick for RC
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Thread Starter- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
One scout named Castro the most impressive among the NBA hopefuls:
"Rafael Castro | George Washington | 6’11”, 220 | C: NBA Archetype: Rim-Running Big-Mobile big who runs the floor well and thrives in transition. Showed strong hands in traffic and finished plays above the rim.
Projects as an energy big who can contribute through effort, vertical spacing, and interior presence."
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Thread Starter- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Castro official measurements at Portsmouth clocked in with a 7'2 wingspan, best of anyone there with a 9'1 standing reach
The 7'2 Wingspan will certainly help his draft prospects
Here's everyone:
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Thread Starter- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Slim is headed to the NBA Draft combine G-League Camp May 8-10th:
The three-day event provides NBA Draft prospects with the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of NBA scouts, coaches, and front-office executives. Participants will take part in five-on-five games as well as strength and agility drills. A select number of players from the draft-eligible group will earn invitations to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026 later in the week, based on their performance
Last edited by The Dude (5/05/2026 3:04 pm)
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Thread Starter- Gwmayhem
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Slim is headed to the NBA Draft combine G-League Camp May 8-10th:
The three-day event provides NBA Draft prospects with the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of NBA scouts, coaches, and front-office executives. Participants will take part in five-on-five games as well as strength and agility drills. A select number of players from the draft-eligible group will earn invitations to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026 later in the week, based on their performance
It takes a special talent to edit something that he cut and pasted to begin with.
- The Dude
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Slim posted an excellent 36.5 Vertical at The NBA Draft combine
Also one of the top wingspans measured, 7'1.25
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Thread Starter- GW0509
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Here’s a breakdown of Castro’s draft prospects
- AT Hiker
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Re: The emergence of Castro
I would be very surprised if Castro is drafted by an NBA team. He is certainly an all-around skilled player but is not quite strong enough offensively and he doesn't shoot the 3. I think Robbie Avila at St Louis is more likely to be drafted because he is an excellent passer and 3 point shooter.
- dmvpiranha
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Slim got an invite to the NBA Combine after a good showing at the G League one. Wishing him luck!
Jonathan Givony @DraftExpress 10h
George Washington's Rafael Castro has been called up from the G League Combine to the NBA Combine, a source tells DraftExpress.
- H&R..71
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Re: The emergence of Castro
I think Slim is comparable to Pops in his NBA skill set and just might be able to carve out a similar role: high energy + athleticism + length. Rooting for him big time!
- jf
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Re: The emergence of Castro
Don't know if Castro, who was great for us, is better off being a second round draft choice or
a free agent. He has a skillset that is more traditional, though with great athleticism, and no real outside shot that we know of. Can be a contributor to the right NBA team situation.
As a free agent, he can pick the team that is better for him. Maybe missed it, but don't recall Pops, Garino, Yuta, Tyler C. being drafted. Yet they all made it to the NBA.
Hope Rafael gets the best situation for his game and skillset.
- GW Alum Abroad
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Re: The emergence of Castro
I hope Castro has a great pro career (and really wish he still had a year more to play for GW) but I will be the one to say it: Castro does not have the defensive footwork to play in the NBA. I hope I am wrong, but he was pushed around too much underneath, his monster block and rebound numbers more the product of his massive reach than his body placement. Add to that his limited shooting range and average speed and I just don´t see a team taking a chance on him, unless as a low-budget project that they figure might work out or might just fill a D-League spot. A league like Italy or Spain might be a better fit for him to shine in.
I hope I am wrong and prove why I am an "armchair quaterback" instead of a staff scout for an NBA squad.
Last edited by GW Alum Abroad (5/11/2026 6:45 pm)
- gwstudent2024
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Re: The emergence of Castro
I hope Castro has a great pro career (and really wish he still had a year more to play for GW) but I will be the one to say it: Castro does not have the defensive footwork to play in the NBA. I hope I am wrong, but he was pushed around too much underneath, his monster block and rebound numbers more the product of his massive reach than his body placement. Add to that his limited shooting range and average speed and I just don´t see a team taking a chance on him, unless as a low-budget project that they figure might work out or might just fill a D-League spot. A league like Italy or Spain might be a better fit for him to shine in.
I hope I am wrong and prove why I am an "armchair quaterback" instead of a staff scout for an NBA squad.
I had a French basketball journalist reach out to me towards the end of the season with a bunch of questions about Castro saying he thinks he'd be a good fit in the French league. I'm far from an expert on French basketball but I'd love to see him in one of those European leagues (although it would obviously be great to see him in the NBA)