<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<div id="article-headline">
<div class="headline-box">
<h1 class="posttitle">Iowa's Aaron White vies for NBA chance</h1>
</div>
<div class="headline-box">
<h3 class="subhead">Forward's whirlwind spring concludes with
Thursday's draft</h3>
<div id="social-box"><a href="http://www.reddit.com/submit"
onclick="window.location='//www.reddit.com/submit?url=' +
encodeURIComponent(window.location); return false"> </a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mediawell" style="clear:right;"><br>
<div style="" class="mediawell-object" id="mediawell-photos">
<div style="width: 479px;" class="mediawell-photo"
id="art_photo_1">
<div class="picture-holder"><img
src="cid:part2.03010807.09060209@gmail.com" alt=""> </div>
<div>
<div class="caption">Iowa Hawkeyes forward Aaron White (30)
gestures after scoring a three point basket during the
second half of a men's basketball game against the
Northwestern Wildcats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City
on Saturday, March 7, 2015. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="byline"> <a href="mailto:scott.dochterman@gazcomm.com">Scott
Dochterman</a>, The Gazette </div>
<div class="date"> June 24, 2015 | 12:36 pm
</div>
<p>IOWA CITY — Aaron White’s last six weeks consisted of 16 visits
to NBA facilities, often on consecutive days in opposite ends of
the country.</p>
<p>The former Iowa basketball star’s whirlwind basketball tour stops
spinning with Thursday night’s NBA draft. Several mock drafts view
White, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, as a second-round selection
or priority free agent.</p>
<p>NBA.com projects White going No. 47 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish pegs White heading to the Utah Jazz at
No. 54. Others like NBA Draft Express lists White as undrafted.</p>
<p>The rhetoric to empty for White, a Strongsville, Ohio native, who
became a first-team all-Big Ten selection this year. White hints
that a few teams have eyes on him in the second round. But he’s
also realistic about the unpredictable nature that is draft night.</p>
<p>“There are a couple of teams that liked me and will look at me in
the second round,” White said. “But at the same time, anything can
happen. There’s a lot of moves that happen in the second round.
Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m 100 percent confident with where I’m
going, but I’m excited to see what happens.”</p>
<p>While productive for most of his Iowa career, White surged late
in his senior season, averaging a Big Ten-high 21.4 points a game
over his final nine games. He scored 20 or more points in six
consecutive games before ending with 19 against Gonzaga in an NCAA
tournament loss. White finished fifth in Big Ten scoring (16.4
points per game) and fourth in rebounding (7.3 per game). He was
the only Division I player to average more than 16 points and
seven rebounds a game while shooting better than 50 percent from
the floor and 80 percent from the free-throw line.</p>
<p>White ranks second in Iowa history in career points (1,859),
third in rebounds (901) and owns school marks for games played
(140), free throws (618) and attempts (800). He sank more free
throws than any Big Ten player in the last 53 years.</p>
<p>White’s college career has included stops with the U.S. national
team for the 2013 World University Games and invitations to the
elite LeBron James and Kevin Durant camps. In May, he was one of
60 players invited to the NBA scouting combine.</p>
<p>“Aaron White definitely has a chance to get drafted,” said ESPN
draft analyst Chad Ford. “I’m not sure that he gets drafted, I
would put him as a bubble second-rounder. The things that he
brings to the table obviously are hustle, athleticism. The
question is, is there skill level enough there? Is he good enough
at those things to warrant a second-round pick?”</p>
<p>White has played multiple positions on the floor and worked as
both a primary and secondary scorer. NBA.com’s scouting report
touts White’s consistency and improvement over his Iowa career and
writes White “is more athletic than he is given credit for (35”
maximum vertical jump) ... Very springy ... Was great in fast
break opportunities and often found the right angles and spaces
when cutting to the hoop ... Handles the ball well enough to beat
slower defenders off the dribble ... Has great straight line speed
when attacking the basket ... More than just a shooter, White can
score in a variety of ways on offense ... Drew a very high number
of fouls his senior season ...”</p>
<p>But like every player, White has room for improvement, especially
on defense. Among White’s deficiencies, according to NBA.com,
include “not a great defender and may not ever reach average
either ... Did not take a lot of perimeter shots as he should’ve
in college (only 59 as a senior) ... Tends to fall asleep
defensively ... Gets out of position when off the ball at times.”</p>
<p>White acknowledged he needs more strength to consistently defend
NBA power forwards. He believes he established his competitiveness
and versatility in pre-draft workouts, which consisted of games of
three-on-three, two-on-two and one-on-one. His basketball
intelligence and feel — among his many strengths at Iowa — also
work in his favor.</p>
<p>“I can do a lot of different things on the floor,” White said.
“I’ve been shooting it well in my workouts. The biggest thing they
want to see is am I strong enough to guard a true four man? That
would probably be the biggest thing. Right now I’m like 225, and
they’d like to see me a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger.
That will come with basketball being my job.”</p>
<p>As a lifelong NBA fan, White has experienced moments of awe
during his workouts, from seeing championship banners in Boston,
San Antonio and Los Angeles to noticing Phil Jackson watching him
work out in New York.</p>
<p>“It’s a little bit intimidating to sit across from Pat Riley,
when I had the Heat,” White said. “But at the same time you just
have to be yourself. That’s one thing I wasn’t really worried
about, the interviews. I knew that would actually be something
that would do well for me. I just wanted to show that I care, that
I would work hard and help the team.”</p>
<p>White plans to watch the draft with family and Iowa’s coaching
staff at a local restaurant. He doesn’t want a large gathering —
“You don’t want to have a party and not get picked,” he says. But
he’s excited for the next stage of his life: a chance at the NBA.</p>
<p>“It’s been a great process and something I’m not taking for
granted,” White said. “I’m trying to enjoy it and soak up the
moments.</p>
<p>“June 25 is obviously a big day, but in the grand scheme of
things, it’s one day out of my career. That’s just where I start.”</p>
</body>
</html>