Jack White
- Year: Junior
- Height: 6-foot-7
- Position: Forward
- Last year’s statline: 0.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 5.7 MPG
Game Breakdown: Out of the 2016 recruiting class, Jack White was always overshadowed in a group that included four McDonald’s All-Americans. The Australian native was ranked in the Top 5 prospects from his country but was seen as just a three-star in the United States and as a long-term prospect. During his junior year as a Blue Devil, White may finally be ready to break out into an everyday contributor for Duke, as one of the more experienced players on the squad.
Last season, the 6-foot-7 forward saw the court in 28 games, but really came on as ACC play began. His best game came against Notre Dame in January, where he notched his career high in points with five and rebounds with seven. White’s game mainly revolves around spot up shooting on the offensive end, as last year the lane was too clogged with two future NBA bigs inside. He should still rely on his three point touch this year but has the opportunity to drive and expand his game when needed with no true go-to post presence.
White even seems to be improving as a shooter, as a quick leak of Duke’s offseason shooting numbers in a YouTube video shows the forward at the top of most of the rankings for jump shots. The board even shows a day where White made 124 three pointers on 140 attempts in a workout. Of course there were no defenders, but don’t be surprised if he becomes the biggest deep threat for the Blue Devils this year.
Role on the Team: After Coach K expressed his interest in a motion offense, the Aussie could be looking at a huge jump in playing time this year, as his blend of size, athleticism and shooting range fit perfectly in a Golden State style offense. With fellow junior Javin DeLaurier showing an inconsistent jump shot, Duke’s best lineup as the season progresses may include White, who can open up lanes for the four freshmen.
White figures to be a spot up shooter while he’s on the court but can be trusted to make the smart play and give it his all on defense. And don’t overlook his rebounding skills, which will come in handy with the Blue Devils’ lack of size.
NBA Comparison: White’s skillset of a spot-up shooter with sneaky athleticism translates in the NBA to Maurice Harkless, a forward for the Trail Blazers. The St. John’s product averaged 6.5 points per game last year while shooting 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. Harkless is primarily used in Portland to space the floor for a couple of ball dominant all-stars in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, similar to what Duke will have in R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. Last season, the seven-year NBA vet ranked in the 95th percentile of spot up shooters, success that White will try to match in his third year in Durham.
Projected stats: 2.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 9.4 MPG
Stay tuned to the Blue Zone for our continuing player previews with junior Marques Bolden tomorrow. Previous players previewed include Justin Robinson, Joey Baker, Jordan Goldwire and Antonio Vrankovic.
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