For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director (956) 381-2240

BRONCS ADD CASTILLO, SANCHEZ OF TEMPLE JC

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's men's basketball team has added a pair of recruits for the fall.

Sergio Sanchez, a 5-10 guard from Temple College in Temple, TX, and his Temple teammate Ray Castillo, a 6-5 guard, will join the Broncs this fall. Both players are from San Antonio, TX and South San Antonio HS. Sanchez and Castillo will enter Texas-Pan American as juniors, with two years of eligibility.

Castillo transferred to Temple from Incarnate Word, where he redshirted as a freshman. As a transfer, he was eligible for only the second semester of his first year at Temple. This season, he helped lead the Leopards to a 24-7 record and a third place finish in the North Texas Junior College Conference. They lost to Howard in the playoffs, but Temple led the nation in scoring, averaging 102.4 points per game.

The leading scorer for Temple in conference play, Castillo averaged 16.3 points per game, 18.1 against conference opponents. He also averaged 7.6 rebounds per game, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 52 per cent from two-point range, 37 per cent from behind the three-point line, and 78 per cent from the free throw line. He earned first team All-Conference honors, and was twice named Conference Player of the Week.

A first-team All-Region V selection and an honorable mention All-American, Sanchez led the Leopards in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game, and 18.0 per game in conference action. He averaged 7.96 assists per game, which ranks him 11th nationally among National Junior College Athletic Association Division I players. He also averaged 2.8 steals per game, and made 93 per cent of his free throws, making 148 of 160 attempts. Sanchez shot 38 per cent from three-point range, was named Conference Player of the Year, was first team All-Conference, and was once chosen Conference Player of the Week.

"Sergio has a tremendous ability to get shots, and get other people shots," said UTPA Head Coach Bob Hoffman. "With the style of play at Temple, where they pushed the ball up the floor and shot a lot of threes, he'll be a great addition to our team. We needed some additional scoring and some additional leadership, and he will help provide that."

Castillo will also be a good addition. "Ray is a tremendous catch and shoot guy who will help us in terms of shooting and scoring," said Hoffman. "He can shoot threes from deep, doesn't need much room to get his shot off, and plays with great intensity and desire. Both Ray and Sergio will be great assets for our program. They are quality young men and great student-athletes who are interested not only in helping our program, but also getting their degrees."

"Ray is a great shooter, he can hit four or five threes in a row very easily," said Temple College Head Coach Kirby Johnson. "He is big enough to shoot over people, he is good at getting to the basket, and he is able to slice through and get his hands on the ball and either get rebounds, or tip the ball to his teammates. Every time we hit a three or get a dunk, we throw a T-shirt into the stands, and Ray was responsible for giving away a lot of T-shirts."

"Sergio is very quick and is a very good ball handler," said Johnson. "He has the ability to separate from his man, and he can get people off-balance and get his shot off. He is an electrifying player, he is very unselfish, and he's the best free throw shooter I've ever had. He could easily have averaged 25 points a game for us. Both Sergio and Ray are great kids, and they both come from great families, and they'll be close enough so that their parents can come to the games."

Sanchez and Castillo are the second and third recruits added by the Broncs for the fall. Texas-Pan American signed 6-5 guard Patrick Andrepont of Lake Charles, LA during the early signing period last fall.

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