October 4, 2005 - Rider Grad Castleberry at Sixers Camp

Rider Grad Castleberry at Sixers Camp

LAWRENCEVILLE-Every kid who has ever made a lay up or shot a three-point field goal has at one time or another dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association. Dreamed of "Being Like Mike." For 2005 Rider University graduate Steve Castleberry, that dream just got a little closer to becoming a reality. On October 4 the Philadelphia 76ers began their preseason training camp at Duke University with Castleberry on their roster.

"I was a big Michael Jordan fan growing up," Castleberry said, "but when I moved to the Philadelphia area (Hatboro-Horsham) I began following the Sixers."

Now Castleberry is following the Sixers all the way to Durham, North Carolina. "My goals are to show what I can do down here," Castleberry said, "show all the things I’ve learned in the last few years, especially this summer working out with a strong level of competition, and to make this team."

"There are certain things that Steve does very well," said Rider Interim Director of Athletics Don Harnum, who recruited and coached Castleberry at Rider. "He’s a shot maker, he has good hands and can catch the ball, he’s coordinated, and he’s seven foot tall. You can’t teach size."

Castleberry’s goal upon graduation in May was to pursue a professional basketball career in Europe. "My bags were all packed," Castleberry said. "All the paper work was done and I was heading to Europe to play for the Erdgas Ehingen team in the Second Division pro league in Germany. I was watching football on television with my friend when my agent called and asked if I still wanted to go to Germany or if I wanted to attend an NBA training camp. That was a no brainer, especially when he said it was the Sixers."

Castleberry had been working out in the Philadelphia area with other NBA hopefuls ever since graduation. "We’d be at Villanova, La Salle, St. Joseph’s, going through drills and playing five on five in front of all sorts of scouts from different pro leagues," Castleberry said. "(Sixers new head coach) Mo Cheeks saw me play and liked what he saw, and I got the call."

Castleberry attended Solebury Prep School in Bucks County, PA in 1999-2000, after attending Clearview High School in Mullica Hill, NJ. Castleberry was a starter on the 2001-2002 Marist College team as a red-shirt freshman, and came to Rider from the 30-6 Dixie State team, which finished third in the Junior College National Championships.

"We recruited Steve out of Solebury Prep, before he went to Marist, and once he transferred to Dixie we recruited him again," Harnum remembers. "Like a lot of big kids, it took him a while to mature physically. It generally takes a while for the strength to catch up to the size."

At 7', 250 pounds, Castleberry played in 61 games in two seasons for the Broncs, compiling 580 points (9.5) and 326 rebounds (5.3). "I feel I am so much better now than I was at Rider," Castleberry said. "This summer I was introduced to a lot of new things, the competition was very strong, a lot of players preparing for the NBA or for Europe, like myself. The competition was very strong and it brought out the best in my game. I worked on my perimeter game as well."

"Steve’s a really nice human being with good character, and even at the NBA level that means something when you are filing out a roster," Harnum said.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson and forward Chris Webber headline the 76ers training camp roster. And what would happen if Castleberry inadvertently injured one of those two while trying to block a shot. "I’m sure I would be sent home, immediately, no questions asked," Castleberry said. "When I graduated from Rider my goal was to go overseas and play. That could still happen if things don’t work out here, but right now I’m thinking about making this team. And I think I have a shot. There just aren’t that many seven-footers out there."

There’s one in Durham, NC right now, hoping not to be like Mike, but to be a Philadelphia 76er.