Minutes ago, class of 2025 small forward, Billy White III committed to Southern Methodist University.
Last week, we reported White's announcement of Kansas inside his final few schools, with the news first being broken by Joe Tipton, yet White chose elsewhere.
Before his announcement, White announced his intention to forgo his senior year and reclassify to the class of 2025, having previously been in the class of 2026.
In an article done by On3, White discussed what makes him a valuable asset.
"'A big reason I get recruited is my shot-making ability at my size,'” White said. “'I’m in that 6-8 frame and weigh 195 pounds, so I can play that two, three range. I shoot the ball at an elite level, especially from the three-point line. I’m also a good positional guy. I can defend my position and defend multiple positions. I rebound the ball pretty well and I have a high basketball IQ, being around basketball my whole life.
'“It doesn’t necessarily have to be me scoring the ball, but getting the ball where it needs to be off the bounce and making plays for my teammates,”' White said. “Defensively, I want to show that I can defend my position and if I have to switch onto a big or guard, I can do that as well.”'
In the interview, it was interesting to hear White quote his size. Last month, when Self spoke to the media, athleticism and size were heavily praised.
"How do you get guys that get their shoulders past people? How do you get guys that can make plays you can't coach? I think last year, we probably had to; this isn't a knock to our players, our players are good players," emphasized Self. "We probably had to manufacture plays and points as opposed to just, you know, there's a loose ball, we jump a little bit higher to get it, which creates a deflection to an uncontested three. We didn't get near as much stuff like that last year."
When earmarking potential prospects for Self and Kansas will look for the athleticism mentioned above that White would have offered.