UNC Basketball: Stilman White 2016-17 season review
Beloved senior guard Stilman White says goodbye to North Carolina fans one last time
Stilman White‘s career at the University of North Carolina has been talked about more often than he’s been on the court, and it’s as interesting as it is intermittent.
The 24-year-old senior guard began his stint at North Carolina in a precarious situation, filling in for All-American point guard Kendall Marshall during the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
While UNC fans nervously hoped and prayed for Marshall’s speedy recovery, White stepped in and did exactly what was asked of him.
And he did it well.
In games against Ohio and Kansas, the 19-year-old freshman guard compiled 13 assists and committed zero turnovers. Zero turnovers…as a freshman…for a team that plays as fast and loose as any program in the nation.
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.
And no, he wasn’t the talented passer that Marshall was. Nor did he possess the same play-making abilities that the 2012 Cousy Award winner did. And perhaps it was the ultimate undoing of a team believed by many to be best suited to beat the mighty Kentucky Wildcats team that gave John Calipari his first (and only) national title.
But again, White did his job. What more could be expected of a player who didn’t see his first career start until a third round single-elimination NCAA Tournament game?
White, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then left Chapel Hill to go on a two-year mission trip in Utah.
White left UNC unsure of his future and whether or not he would still have the opportunity to play for the Tar Heels when he returned from his religious duties. However, two years after his freshman season, he returned to Chapel Hill to resume his education and career in the men’s basketball program.
White was rarely used over the next two seasons, appearing in just 27 games for a total of 53 minutes. For the most part, his appearances in games were limited to the closing minutes of lopsided wins.
He returned for his senior season in 2016 and played in 27 games. He averaged a little over a point in three-and-a-half minutes per game en route to a North Carolina national championship. But it was his attitude and leadership that meant more to the team than anything he could provide on the court.
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Over six years and four basketball seasons, White played smart team basketball, always looking for ways to get his teammates involved. He was unselfish, aware that there were more talented players around him. More importantly, White played with as much heart and effort as anyone on the court.
And above all else, those are the things that Stilman White should be remembered for.