Andrien White will be a strong and reliable #2 guy during his senior year in 2019-2020.
Here’s a college basketball story that hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. Andrien White has transferred from UNC-Charlotte to Wake Forest, where he’ll be eligible to play in 2019-2020.
White can hit the deep ball and also has slashing abilities. At Charlotte, White played alongside ball-dominant guard Jon Davis. In that tandem, White was a limited ball handler and facilitator. Then-head coach Mark Price wanted White to catch-and-shoot or be an off-dribble shooting guard when Davis was in the game with him.
White delivered, too. He drained in 38% of his three-point shots while shooting an eye-popping eight attempts per contest. Tha’s an extremely efficient mark.
When Davis wasn’t on the court, White became the primary ball handler on the second unit. And, although it may not show up on the stat sheet, White’s high basketball IQ enabled him to consistently make the right play, including attacking inside.
Using a variety on inside moves, White was able to consistently draw contact and head to the line. Last season, White had a nearly 10% free throw rate per one hundred possessions.
The bottom line is this: White’s ability to slash inside and shoot outside has expanded his all-around offensive game.
On the defensive end, White is not an average two-guard. With a 6’3” 210 pound frame, he’s able to smother opposing defenses. At Charlotte, he was often asked to defend the opposing team’s best offensive guard. That’s because White has the kind of footwork needed to limit offensive production.
There’s more, too. White is a tremendous rebounder. During three years at UNCC, he averaged nearly five rebounds a game–impressive for a shooting guard.
One weakness is turnovers. At UNCC, White averaged one more turnover than assist per game. That’s a concerning number as is his fouling. White averaged close to three fouls per game over 25 minutes (on average) at Charlotte. Foul trouble reduced his aggressiveness late in games.
White will need to address those issues to be a marquee player in the ACC. If he can, then I believe he’ll fit right at Wake, especially with Sharone Wright Jr., who seems to be the point guard of the future for Wake.
With Wright at the point, White won’t have to carry the primary facilitating role. His turnover-to-assist ratio should decrease dramatically because of that and White should be able to create off-ball slashing plays toward the paint.
All in all, I think Andrien White will be a strong and reliable #2 guy during his senior year in 2019-2020.