Clutch plays define special season for guard

By Sean Gorman / Senior Staff Writer –

As the UNT men’s basketball team celebrated its second conference championship and bid in the NCAA Tournament with the Mean Green faithful, it became clear that the team’s shortest player had left the largest impression.

The fans who gathered outside the Super Pit to welcome back the Mean Green from the Conference Tournament gave junior guard Josh White endless applause after he scored the winning basket over Troy in the Tournament final.

“I want to have the ball in my hand during the moments with the most pressure,” White said. “I talked to coach at the beginning of the year and told him I wanted to become a leader on this team and a go-to player down the stretch.”

Clutch play is nothing new for the Louisiana native this year, as White was instrumental in the final minutes of close wins over Denver and UT-Arlington earlier in the season.

“Josh is the one guy we can count on when the game’s on the line,” senior forward Eric Tramiel said. “We have plenty of guys who can score, but having a guy like Josh who we know can make that key shot is important.”

The Mean Green was able to add the two-time state champion at the Christian Life Academy when White committed to UNT after seeing the program’s growth since the turn of the century.

“When I noticed that UNT had made the Big Dance and had plenty of players coming back, I knew that this was a team that was only going to get better,” White said. “Talking to Johnny and the other coaches made me even more confident about my decision to come here.”

Despite two strong first seasons, White’s junior campaign has been his best, as he led the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and assists with 3.6 per game while being the team’s top free-throw shooter.

“When you talk about Josh, the first thing that comes to mind is the raw talent he has as a basketball player,” head coach Johnny Jones said. “It’s been a privilege being able to coach him since he joined this team three years ago.”

Getting to the line and making free throws is a point of pride for White, who finished second in the nation last season in free-throw percentage.

“It’s a big part of our offensive strategy, so I’ve always looked at it as something I can use to help this team win,” White said. “I’m fortunate to be able to work on free throws with the coaching staff here. They’ve been really helpful.”

Even after securing the Sun Belt title this week, White said, he swears the Mean Green is not content just yet.

“There really is no level of satisfaction at this point,” White said. “We’re proud of what we’ve done as a team, but there’s so much more for us to accomplish.”

With former Oklahoma guard and current NBA Development League player Quannas White as an older brother, basketball was a big part of family life for the 5-foot-8-inch star.

“Growing up, basketball was everything to me,” he said. “Some of the reasons I get along so well with my brothers Quannas and Clearance are our passion for the game and the time we spent playing together on the court.”

Most of White’s time is spent focusing on basketball, but when he gets the chance, he prefers to relax and enjoy video games or TV.

“Action games and sports games are how I spend my free time,” White said. “Of course Madden and Call of Duty are a couple of my favorites, but I am open to playing almost anything.”

An avid fan of New Orleans Hornets’ point guard Chris Paul, White aspires to play basketball professionally when his esteemed career at UNT comes to an end.

“I don’t know if I’ll play here or overseas, but it doesn’t matter,” White said. “The key right now is to stay healthy so I have a chance to pursue that kind of opportunity when I’m out of college.”

White and the Mean Green will begin competition in the NCAA Tournament on either March 18 or 19, as they tries to advance for the first time in school history.