UNC Basketball: Stilman White’s poise, patience guide Tar Heels
Senior guard offers leadership, promotes stability to talented Tar Heels
Stilman White’s journey to the 2016-17 North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team is as interesting as it is unlikely.
A freshman in 2012, White was tasked with leading the Tar Heels into the Sweet 16 and then the Elite 8 after starting point guard Kendall Marshall suffered a season-ending wrist injury.
And even as a true freshman with almost no experience, White performed admirably.
In games against Ohio and Kansas, the 19-year-old guard compiled 13 assists and committed zero turnovers. And while he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, or often, he did hit all four of the free throws he attempted in those games.
He wasn’t the skilled, polished passer that Marshall was. And he wasn’t the gifted scorer that so many past UNC guards have been. But he knew where he was supposed to be at on the court and he put his teammates in a position to succeed.
He played with a calm and poised demeanor, even under the bright lights of one of sports’ biggest stages.
The Tar Heels would ultimately fall to Kansas in that Elite 8 matchup, but the blame should be placed on the unfortunate and untimely Marshall injury rather than his young replacement.
White played more minutes in those two NCAA Tournament games than he would play in his next two seasons combined.
His next two seasons, though, would be a ways down the road.
White, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, left Chapel Hill after his freshman season to go on a two-year mission trip in Utah. While on his trip, he was unable to watch TV, have a cell phone or use social media due to the rules placed on Mormon missionaries. He knew he would miss his friends and basketball, but he felt strongly about fulfilling his religious obligations.
And to White, his obligations were a blessing, not a hindrance.
When he left, his return to UNC was uncertain, at best. However, in the fall of 2014, White returned to campus and resumed his duties on the men’s basketball team.
His impact on the court over the next two years would be minimal, but his leadership and dedication to the team were always felt.
Fast forward two seasons, just months after the Tar Heels lost one of the most memorable national title games in history. White, now a senior, is still a bench player best suited to provide depth for Roy Williams’ Tar Heels.
White, though, is getting more opportunities this season. Through 18 games, he’s already played twice as many minutes as he did in the previous two seasons combined. He’s gotten into games at crucial times and he’s been relied upon for more than just “clean-up” minutes at the end of blowouts.
Moreover, Williams seems to put White in to right the ship at times when the starting lineup is playing poorly.
And White does his job.
White doesn’t play flashy basketball. He doesn’t step onto the court and wow onlookers with incredible athleticism and superb play-making abilities. But he does the little things.
He’s appeared in 12 games this season, usually for just a few minutes on each occasion. He’s hit 4-of-9 shots from the floor including 1-of-3 from three-point range. He’s grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists to just two turnovers. Even more impressive is the fact that he’s come into games cold and still hit 14 of his 16 free throw attempts.
No matter the situation, White plays with a calm and collected confidence. He plays under control. He knows where he’s supposed to be on the court and he plays fundamental basketball.
His journey to this point may be an unlikely one. His name will never grace the top spot in any of the record books. And his jersey will never hang in the rafters.
But over the last six years, between basketball and religious responsibilities, Stilman White has been able to accomplish the things he set out to do.
And it was because of the same things that make him so reliable on the basketball court and so valuable to his head coach; his poise and patience.