Colorado University Athletics
Buffs' Boyle Says White's Climb 'Just Next Chapter' In His Story
May 16, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After what most observers saw as a breakout performance at last week's NBA Combine, former Colorado standout Derrick White is now in the midst of an NBA tour, with a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks scheduled for Wednesday.
White, whose only season for the Buffs, has made the transition from a virtual unknown a year ago to a player some draft watchers are projecting as a possible first-round pick in the June 22 draft.
The latest mock draft from SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell predicted White going with the 26th pick overall to the Portland Trail Blazers.
"He's blown up during the pre-draft process, first at the Portsmouth Invitational and then with a solid showing at the combine," O'Donnell wrote. "He doesn't have many holes in his skill set on the offensive end and tested well enough athletically to possibly sneak into the first round. He's worth a shot for a Blazers team with three first rounders."
Draft Express, meanwhile, projected White going to Atlanta with the 31st overall pick (first pick in the second round) while NBADraft.net has White going with the 54th overall pick to Phoenix.
Obviously, there's still plenty of time for evaluations and projections before the actual draft. But what's becoming clear is that White is turning heads wherever he goes. He's been the subject of a number of articles in the national media, detailing his climb from a player who wasn't recruited out of high school to an All-Pac-12 season as a senior at Colorado.
Now, he appears destined to repeat a similar journey, one from a player who was on nobody's draft radar when the college season began to one who has a very good chance of hearing his name called on draft night.
"He just continues to get better," said CU coach Tad Boyle, who watched White blossom in Boulder. "He rises to every challenge. He feels like he belongs on the biggest stage. There's no question in my mind after what he did here for us toward the end of the season for us and certainly what he's done in these camps and combines after the season that he's an NBA player."
In his one and only season in Boulder, White had a definite impact. He led the Buffs last year in scoring (18.1 ppg), assists (4.4 apg), blocks (1.4 bpg) and steals (1.2 spg) and 3-point percentage (.396). He also averaged more than four rebounds per game and was second on the team in free throw percentage (.813).
But it was down the home stretch of the season that he became a true force and began to turn heads nationally. He scored at least 26 points in four of his last six games, including a 31-point, 6-rebound, 5-assist performance against Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament, followed by a 30-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist effort against UCF in the NIT.
White began to gain true national notoriety at the Portsmouth Invitational, a tournament for potential NBA draftees. He played well there, then gained more attention at last week's NBA Combine, where he scored well in the "measurables" (vertical jump, speed and agility testing) and played well in the combine scrimmages.
"He showed versatility and caught my eye being a guard who can guard on the perimeter and shoot the ball well," ESPN analyst Tom Penn told the Denver Post. "I don't know any way to say it other than he looked like an NBA player out there. He brought the versatility."
White spent Monday in Indianapolis, working out with several other potential draftees and interviewing with Pacers personnel. After the workouts, he told Pacers.com, "You can't take anything for granted because it can be taken away from you at any time. Take advantage of your opportunity — that's what my goal is here at these workouts."
Boyle said White's background could actually benefit him as he continues his quest for a spot on an NBA roster.
"It's just the next chapter in his story, where he's come from and how he's gotten to where he is," Boyle said. "The climb continues. He's not a guy that necessarily plays with a chip on his shoulder, but he is a guy that does play with something to prove. He loves it when people doubt him and he loves to prove them wrong."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
