Stories from The Spokesman-Review

Free daily coverage from the newspaper.

Get stories via RSS     Return to headline list

Washington State signs Ferris' Casto

Star post must meet academic standards

Vince Grippi  •  Staff writer
Published April 18, 2008

Casto ()

PULLMAN – DeAngelo Casto, Washington's high school basketball player of the year from Ferris High, has signed a letter of intent to play next season at Washington State University.

"Why not?" Casto replied with a laugh Thursday when asked why he picked WSU. … "It's right near home. I really love the coaching staff ... (and) it's nice to be home, where all the people who love you can watch you and come down and see you."

"We are excited to have DeAngelo sign with us," WSU coach Tony Bennett said in a media release. "He is a great addition to our fall signing class ... and we are looking forward to watching DeAngelo reach his full potential."

Casto becomes the sixth member of the Cougars' 2008 recruiting class, joining guards Marcus Capers, Michael Harthun, Klay Thompson, Nick Witherill and forward James Watson, all of whom signed in the November early signing period.

"I'm really excited about that," Casto said of WSU's large incoming class. "There are six of us and we'll get to grow together. As years go by, we're going to get better and better with each other, growing as a class."

At the time the other five signed, Casto was trying to regain his high school eligibility, part of a whirlwind two-plus years that saw him attend three high schools, move multiple times and play a large part in Ferris' back-to-back, undefeated State 4A title seasons.

Casto spent his first two high school years at Freeman before transferring prior to his junior year to Ferris, where he averaged nearly 15 points a game and helped the 29-0 Saxons to their first State 4A title since 1994. He was named first-team All-Greater Spokane League by the league's coaches and All-State by the Associated Press.

He started his senior year at Seattle's Franklin High before moving back to Ferris in late October.

Ruled ineligible at the state's district level, Casto appealed to the WIAA, which granted his hardship request Dec. 19.

Despite missing the Saxons' first five games, Casto, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound shot blocker, was again named first-team All-GSL.

In the state playoffs he averaged nearly 19 points per game and set a state tournament record for blocked shots with 25. He also was the tournament's rebounding leader.

Casto has yet to achieve NCAA Division I academic requirements, though he said he feels he is on course, having to finish some correspondence courses and having recently taken the ACT test and preparing for an upcoming SAT and another attempt at the ACT.

"You don't get your results for about eight weeks," Casto said, explaining his testing schedule. "So you don't want to be thinking, 'Dang it, I should have taken it when I had the chance.'

"All I know is I'm a little off (the score I need). Hopefully, just by taking those a little more, I'll get the score I need."

Casto's goal is to become part of a WSU program that has made back-to-back NCAA appearances and reached the Sweet 16 this season.

"They're just great people all around," Casto said. "Tony Bennett is a real strong Christian and a good man. The staff reflects that and so does his basketball team.

"I know he's going to do something great in the next couple years, and I just want to be part of it."