Senior defenseman Cole Kastner, a standout defensive captain for the men's lacrosse team and a longtime threat to opposing offenses, announced Wednesday via social media that he will be transferring after this school year. He has transferred both schools and sports, and his final year of eligibility will be spent playing basketball at Stanford University.
The senior is trying to revive his basketball career, which has been on hiatus since graduating from high school. He declared his intention to play basketball when he entered the transfer portal in May. He told reporters on Saturday that basketball has always been his favorite sport and he always dreamed of returning home to play basketball.
Kastner, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 215 pounds, played high school basketball at Menlo School in Palo Alto, Calif., averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game as a senior, earning him an All-State appearance. I accomplished it. second team. The same height and raw athleticism that made him a formidable lacrosse player served him well on the basketball court.
“We scouted him from basketball highlight films,” coach Lars Tiffany said Saturday. “There's one play in particular that I remember. He got the ball on a press, took three steps down the middle of the court and dunked. I thought, 'I don't know much about basketball, but as an athlete, that's ridiculous.' . ”
The transition from lacrosse to basketball has precedent across college sports.Pat Spencer Tewaaraton Award Thomas O'Connell, who won at Loyola University, used his final year of eligibility to play basketball at Northwestern University in the 2019-20 season. Thomas O'Connell played lacrosse at the University of Maryland before playing basketball in the same year. He went to St. John's to play.
Kaestner himself is a Tewaaraton candidate and had a great season anchoring Virginia's defense. But Kastner will be a force anywhere for the simple reason his coach emphasized.
“He encourages people,” Tiffany said. “He makes people better with his positive words. He lights up the room. He lights up the locker room. He lights up the practice field. When he speaks, we all listen. Tilt it.”
Kaestner's move also marks a return to his hometown. Stamford is just 2 miles from Menlo School. So this always seemed like a natural fit, especially given the recent transfer portal spill that emptied Stanford Basketball's locker room. The Cardinal currently have five players in the transfer portal after coach Jerod Haas was fired in the offseason.
Kaestner spoke with Haase's staff during basketball season and visited practices over winter break to establish communication. He also spoke with staff at the University of California, where his father played football. But in the end, he emerged as the first transfer to commit to new Stanford coach Kyle Smith.
In an interesting development, Kaestner will be playing against his soon-to-be alma mater next season. Stanford's move to the ACC means it will face Virginia every year in conference play. Thoughts of a match crossed his mind.
“It's definitely going to be something really special,” Kaestner said.
Next season's games will be played at Stanford University, eliminating the possibility of Kastner appearing in a Cardinal game at John Paul Jones Arena. But no matter what color the jersey is, JPJ and adjacent Kleckner Stadium will always be Kaestner's home. In his final weeks as a Cavalier, he will give his all to bring his final trophy back to the stadium where he has lived for so long.