Tre White’s long-traveling career is reaching its Winter. After committing to No. 21 Kansas, then flipping to USC on the West Coast, White then moved all the way to the Louisville Cardinals for the 2023-24 season, then White left Kentucky for the Big 10 and Illinois, before finding himself back where he belongs, Lawrence, Kansas.
This season, White has taken his biggest leaps forward. Under head coach Bill Self, White has played 20+ minutes in every matchup and has seen strong scoring nights all season long. White’s season low sits at nine points, in his debut against the Green Bay Phoenix, an eventual 94-51 win for the Jayhawks. Since then, White has notched 10, 11, 18, 22, 16, 15, and 14 points.
So far this season, White has also tallied a strong 54.1% field goal rate, with a strong 43.5% rate from beyond the arc. White has also added 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists to go with his strong scoring streak.
“Tre’s a good player, and Tre wants that role,” quoted Self ahead of Kansas’ matchup against the No. 5 UConn Huskies.
“He wants to be more aggressive. He wants to have a bigger impact. He's good at drawing fouls; he's good at doing some things that certainly is part of the DNA of a winning basketball team. And he can guard and play multiple positions. But the thing about Tre, and I'll say that's about he and Melvin [Council Jr.] both, they're just hoopers.”
Self then mentioned one thing he wants to see from White is his game sense, recalling how at times White gave up fouls that Self quotes, “he shouldn’t have.”
Battle of the Fast & Fearless: Kansas Jayhawks vs UConn Huskies matchup significance
While White’s game is not always perfect, he is a welcome addition to a team that is currently missing five-star Darryn Peterson. Peterson has sustained a hamstring injury that has allowed the former five-star to see the court in only two games this season. Last week, the Jayhawks took a trip to the southwest to take on the Players Era Championship. After an unsettling 3-2 start to the season, the Jayhawks went on a strong three-game winning streak, which saw Self’s team claim third-place in this season’s championship after an 81-76 win over the now No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers.
This season, the Jayhawks currently score 76.3 points per game, which ranks 151st in the nation; however, with Peterson missing, the Jayhawks will always be looking for that bucket-getter, a role White is looking to fill.