Men's Basketball Continues Tradition of Excellent Matriculation

Citrus Basketball's 2018-2019 matriculating class has grown by 6 student-athletes. Josh Caston, Psalm Maduakor, Jesse Elrod, Treyvon Watts-Hale, Colby Orr and Sam Gagliardi have all moved on to compete at the next level.

Caston, the WSC East Conference Player of the Year, led the way offensively for the state contending Owl team. He is headed to NCAA DII Point Loma. The point guard ends his tenure at Citrus having broken a couple of records. Caston posted a 48 point game which is now the top spot in Owl history, as well as 24 free throws made in a game, also a new Citrus record. The versatile ball handler and floor captain  averaged 15.1 points per game, 84.6% free throw shooting, and was 41.4 % from the 3-point arc.

Maduakor, a physical and aggressive player with the finesse of a pure shooter, was a rebounding machine that found ways to make some of the biggest players for the Owls in clutch moments. The well rounded, all conference guard played like a power forward, but was a lethal threat on the perimeter and mid range. He led the team in rebounds with 208 and posted 31 blocked shots, but also sank 46% of his field goal attempts, going 40% from 3-point land, and led Citrus from the free throw line, sinking 84.8%. Maduakor heads off to NCAA DII Montana State Billings.

Elrod, a clutch player with a fierce competitive streak, will move on to NCAA DII Biola University. Elrod, a chameleon on the court, is hitting clutch 3-pointers on one possession, and blocking shots and leading transition breaks on the next. The sharpshooting big man was 42 % for the field, recording a team leading 39 blocks and drained 35 3-pointers on the year. Elord was an All Conference selection.

Watts-Hale, an unselfish and well rounded player, was an integral part of the team's success, filling in myriad intangible elements that were invaluable to the Owls' state contention run in 2018-19. Watts-Hale posted some of the best, complete stats lines on the team, proving his worth on the floor as an irreplaceable force. The guard was an All Conference selection and is headed back to his home state of Texas, where he'll lace up for NCAA DII University of Texas Permian Basin.

Point guard Colby Orr moves on to NCAA DII Chico State in the fall. The All Conference pick was huge off the bench for the Owls in their state title contending run. Orr was an aggressive point man, slicing and cutting through defenders and finishing with relative ease and style. Orr was 44.2% from the field in 2018-19 and led the team in assists with 101. 

Gagliardi, the new record holder at Citrus for 3-pointers scored in a single game (10), was picked to the All Conference team after a lights out year as a key shooter for Citrus. The well rounded shooting guard was 2nd on the team in total rebounds, but even more impressive form the field. He averaged 42.6% from inside the arc, and 38.9% from beyond and 80% from tech free throw line. Gagliardi moves on to NCAA DI Florida Gulf Coast. 

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