Andrew White- this guy is all business. He should show up to practice and games in a suit and tie and a briefcase. Never cracks a smile, but was vocal on defense and works hard in all the drills and 5 on 5. The thing that stood out to me (again, small sample size) is that when he can just simply catch and shoot...wow! He is lethal and doesn't need much time or space to get his 3pt shot off. However, when he has to put it on the floor he seemed uncomfortable. He isn't real fluid and doesn't seem to want to attack the hoop, rather pull up for jumpers off one or two dribbles. Defensively, I was reminded of the NFL draft analysts that talk about whether or not a DB has "fluid hips" that allow change directions quickly. White seems to lack this ability on defense, and was easily beaten off the dribble when they were working on their full court press. However, this didn't seem to be as much of an issue in the half court, and I think he'll do just fine no matter if he's on the top or bottom of the zone. Regardless, he is gonna be a major factor in spacing the floor on offense this year.
I'm a Nebraska basketball fan and will be following Andrew White this year with great interest.
The original poster's assessment of Andrew White is well-done and spot-on.
Here are my observations on Andrew's strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
1. He is a great interview -- thoughtful, well-spoken, mature . . . very impressive. You'll like these a lot!
2. He is a deadly catch-and-shoot player -- he rarely misses in shoot-around.
3. He is an excellent rebounder at the 4 position.
4. If his role is limited to catch-and-shoot, one-dribble drives, and put-backs after rebound, his shooting percentages will be through the roof.
Weaknesses:
1. He's not good on the dribble. Seriously.
2. He played the 4 at Nebraska because he can't guard the 3 in man coverage. Presumably, your zone defense will mask this shortcoming.
3. He is not a The-Guy player. When injuries forced him into a The-Guy role toward the end of last season, his shooting in three games dropped to 3-17/2-10; 3-10/1-5; 2-6/0-2. Presumably, your depth will prevent that from happening this season.
4. He had an opportunity this summer to choose Syracuse and enroll early, so he could start working out with and fitting into the team. He waited until the last minute to commit and avoided seizing this opportunity. He did the same thing when coming to Nebraska--but received a pass because he had to sit out an entire season anyway.
5. There is a helicopter Dad.
6. If he doesn't get drafted, it will be your fault--and ours too.