UNC Basketball: Stilman White season preview 2016-2017

Mar 25, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Stilman White (11) controls the ball as Kansas Jayhawks Tyshawn Taylor (10) trails during the first half of the finals of the midwest region of the 2012 NCAA men /

Stilman White looks to make the most of final season at UNC

Most North Carolina fans remember Stilman White for his pivotal role with the Tar Heels during their 2012 NCAA Tournament run.

White was a true freshman and had virtually no experience at the collegiate level, particularly under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. He was injected into the Tar Heels’ starting lineup after a devastating and untimely season-ending injury to starting point guard Kendall Marshall.

Mar 23, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Stilman White (11) controls the ball as he is defended by Ohio Bobcats guard D.J. Cooper (5) during the second half of the semifinals in the midwest region of the 2012 NCAA men /

Marshall, the nation’s top point guard and Cousy Award winner, was sidelined with a wrist injury due to a hard foul during the team’s second-round victory over Creighton.

White was then tasked with the job of replacing Marshall at the point guard position in a Sweet 16 matchup against the Ohio Bobcats. Although the Tar Heels needed overtime to do it, they were able to put away the 13-seed and move on to the Elite 8.

White played admirably, dishing out six assists and no turnovers while playing the majority of the game as the team’s primary point guard.

The Tar Heels ultimately fell to Kansas in the Elite 8, prematurely ending their hopes of a national title.

Despite being tied at halftime with an inexperienced freshman leading the offense, the Tar Heels were unable to hold on and the Jayhawks cruised to victory in the second half. White played well though, finishing the game with seven assists and zero turnovers.

Soon after, White left UNC for his Mormon mission trip that lasted nearly 18 months.

Looking back at 2015-2016

I’m not going to pretend as if there is a lot to talk about here. There isn’t

White has barely played in the two seasons since he returned to Chapel Hill. From 2014 to 2016, he appeared in 27 games, playing a total of 53 minutes.

During that stretch, his stat line reads like this:

Three points. Seven rebounds. Five assists.

It’s not that White isn’t a good basketball player. He is. But at a school that has seen the likes of Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, Kendall Marshall and Marcus Paige over the last decade, it’s not an easy place for a point guard to find playing time.

Strengths

In 2012, White showed us that he has the ability to play basketball at the Division I level.

Feb, 8, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams talks to guard Stilman White (11) in the first half at the Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE /

He’s an intelligent basketball player. He knows where he is supposed to be on the court and how to put his teammates in a position to succeed. And he does a good job of facilitating the offense.

He’s a solid ball-handler and passer, particularly when he has a gifted group of players surrounding him.

Three years ago, he had Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock, Tyler Zeller and John Henson. And while this year’s group doesn’t have the talent or star-power that 2012’s team did, it is one that White could do well in, should he get onto the court.

He’s also got a stellar 5.28 assist-to-turnover ratio (37 assists, seven turnovers) in his three seasons with the Tar Heels.

Weaknesses

White hasn’t been a strong shooter during his time at UNC, hitting only 18 percent of his shots from the floor.

Then again, it’s got to be difficult to find a good shooting rhythm when you only put up 39 attempts in five years.

And although White is a fundamentally sound point guard who plays smart and makes good decisions, he isn’t incredibly athletic or speedy.

He’s a blue-collar player in every sense of the word, and it’ll be his hard work and dedication that help him earn playing time.

White’s role in 2016-2017

Unless White can break through a loaded back court that’s full of experience and talent, his role will be much like it’s been over the last couple of seasons.

With guards Joel Berry II, Nate Britt, Theo Pinson (once he returns), Kenny Williams, Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson already in the UNC back court and ahead of White in the rotation, his opportunities for minutes will be few and far between.

White will be a backup’s backup this season, but one that can be counted on if called upon.

What to expect from White in 2016?

Expect White to play more than he has in the past two seasons, but not so much that fans ever get accustomed to seeing him out on the floor for large stretches of time.

Unfortunately for White, he’ll probably have to take advantage of “garbage time” that typically comes at the tail-end of lopsided games.

However, fans can expect that if White is on the floor, he provides smart, fundamentally sound basketball at the point guard position for those stints of time.

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