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Andrew White III opens up on Michigan State interest, 'ugly' Nebraska departure
Andrew White III opens up on Michigan State interest, 'ugly' Nebraska departure
Andrew White III will arrive in East Lansing on Saturday afternoon for a brief business trip. This will be no recruiting visit. The 23-year-old already has been everywhere and seen everything.
A graduate transfer from Nebraska, White is the perhaps the most impactful available college basketball player remaining on the market. He's also one of the most well-traveled. A former top-50 prospect, the Virginia native began his career at Kansas and has been around the college game four years.
"I've been through this enough times," White said by phone Friday. "I've seen all the bells and whistles. What will really make or break my decision is what the basketball situation will be."
White visited Syracuse last weekend and still is finalizing other visits from a large pool of suitors. Nothing is firmly scheduled. That is, except Saturday's trip to Michigan State.
Having spoken on the phone with Tom Izzo "three or four times," White will meet with the Spartans' coach and hear how he might fit on MSU's roster. The visit will last until midday Sunday.
A 6-foot-7 guard, White averaged 16.6 points in 29.7 minutes per game last season, tying for fourth in the Big Ten with 87 made 3-pointers on 41.1 percent shooting. He plays on the wing -- a position where the Spartans boast returning starter Eron Harris, highly-regarded freshmen Josh Langford and Miles Bridges, and reliable returnees Matt McQuaid, Alvin Ellis and Kyle Ahrens.
Where would White fit? He's about to find out.
"They're expressing a need for what I do, which is shooting the ball and making plays," White said. "Obviously, there are some guys there who can play, but it takes a team to make a deep run in the tournament and compete for championships. I think that an important part of this is having a staff that can bring me in and make me fit within the team dynamic, so that the chemistry is good and we can win.
"I think coach Izzo could have that ability to fit me in with those guys so that we can reach a common goal, which is winning a championship and competing for something bigger than all of us."
White originally was surprised to learn that Michigan State was among the schools to request a copy of his release from Nebraska. Soon after, MSU reached out to both he and his father. Assistant coach Dane Fife initiated the recruitment. One day later, White spoke with Izzo.
"This staff has been very consistent up to this point," White said.
The reason: In losing Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes to graduation, the Spartans lose two players who combined to make 216 of 467 3-pointers last year. Each made over 100.
Michigan State's top returning shooter is Harris, who made 43 of 98 from the outside.
"Individually, I think I can help other guys who are talented by being able to space the floor and make plays and help give them depth at every position," White said.
White pointed to the balance of last year's Michigan State team and how Forbes fit in.
"What I do and how I play, it's efficient and it's effective," White said. "That's why I don't have to dominate the ball or anything of that nature to still be productive in a system that has talented guys."
At the same time, White will have easier options than joining a roster as deep as MSU's. Syracuse, for instance, has just nine scholarship players on its 2016-17 roster and is in serious need of perimeter shooting.
White, though, said the Spartans' rotation is no deterrent.
"I think competitiveness is a good thing and you can't shy away from it -- you can't expect to go to a program like Michigan State and not expect competition," he said.
The easiest road for playing time would have meant staying at Nebraska. White was set to be the top option for a team likely projected in the bottom third of the Big Ten.
White nearly left for the NBA earlier in the offseason. He declared for the draft and worked out for the Pistons, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. After gathering information, he withdrew from the draft at the deadline, but never formally stated he would return to Nebraska.
That is where things turned contentious.
In late June, word broke that White had requested his release from Nebraska. Immediately, a hailstorm came. The timing -- well into the summer, after the transfer market had been raked over -- was not ideal and White was the Huskers' leading returning scorer and rebounder.
After the story broke, Nebraska coach Tim Miles released a statement.
"There have been discussions with Andrew and his father about Andrew's place in our program for months and this is his decision," Miles said in a statement. "Even though I am extremely disappointed he will be given a complete release as the logistics are handled this week. We will move on. I am truly excited about our team and next season."
White, amid criticism from the media and some venom from the Nebraska fan base, remained silent. His interview with MLive marked his first public comments on the matter.
According to White, he met with Miles prior to making his decision and expressed concern both in his role on the team and the Huskers' chances to compete and win in 2016-17. The fallout, he says, turned sour.
"It was interpreted as a slap in the face, as if I was saying I didn't believe in the program, my teammates or the coaching staff," White said. "Really, I was just thinking about best-case scenario and worst-case scenario for everybody. I think that's something a lot of people do.
"When I was expressing those concerns, I thought that being one of the older guys (on the Nebraska team) would kind of put me in a place where I could talk about those things. So I talked to Tim Miles and he expressed his thoughts about me. We're grown men and we had the right to have some differences in opinion.
"Ultimately, that's what kind of sparked my decision. I didn't want to be in a situation where there was a bridge burned and I wouldn't be able to do what I dreamed of doing. So I thought it was best for both parties to move on in another direction."
According to White, he requested one day to inform teammates, friends and family of his impending departure from Nebraska. Then, he said, he would issue a statement.
Instead, White says, the news leaked and the uproar ensued.
"The decision (to transfer) is what it is, but the hostility of it was kind of sparked by Nebraska not giving me the opportunity to make a statement and approach it the way that I wanted to -- so that it would have had some sensitivity and something genuine attached to it," White said.
He added: "That's kind of why it's been so ugly and there's been so much heat. So I'm kind of being interpreted as classless and as not caring about anyone, but I don't think that's the case."
Now the relationship is over and White is moving on. Still, though, he sees a battle of perception at-hand.
As a two-time transfer, there are some stigmas attached.
"People are going think you have some baggage with you or some problems or some issues," he said. "But I'm confident in who I am as a person and as a player. I mean, I'm just trying to keep in perspective what's really important -- and that's being the best student and player that I can be and trying to win."
As for staying silent on his departure, White noted that he didn't want to "fight Nebraska through the media and through Twitter" when "obviously there's a whole lot to the story."
"I thought it would kind of be immature to try to address something that can't be explained in one internet story, especially since I was already seen as the bad guy," he added.
White acknowledged that, if he were to choose Michigan State and remain in the Big Ten, he would take on "a little bit of villain role." In looking for his next home, though, he's trying to block out the noise of outside opinions.
"I'm confident in myself as a person," White said. "I'm not as bad of a person as the Nebraska fan base is deeming me. I just understand that it's sports and sports are emotional. People are invested in it. So I'm not going to hold a big grudge or fight back at Nebraska. If I go to Michigan State, I would just go in there and do my best just like I would anywhere else."
