And I’m carving some time this weekend to watch defensive Cuts
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I don’t think anyone linked this here yet. From @Treymank3
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Of all the current transfers, White is the most likely guy to become a go to scorer IMO. I think about half of his made shots were C&S 3s but he did show 3 level scoring ability last year at a pretty efficient clip.
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He’s a fun player. Love how he elevates into his shot. Extremely consistent release like Guy (better than McKneely). Has a nice bag of tricks/moves to get himself open with the ball too. Idk how much he’s going to be taking it to the rack at this level but he’s not just a shooter. Should be a decent defender too.
Odds are high he’s our leading scorer next year if Malik isn’t eligible.
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Hey, one of the games is against Illinois St. - getting to scope some Malachi!
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This one is behind a pay wall too, but can bypass with FireFox in reader view. I’ll copy and paste below:
North Dakota State transfer Jacari White feels he fits in UVa basketball’s new-look style
GREG MADIA The Daily Progress
7 - 8 minutes
He finished second in the Summit League this past season for made 3s and 3-point shooting percentage.
Assistants can help provide culture, foundation for Ryan Odom’s new-look UVa hoops program
Virginia basketball to play in Greenbrier Tip-Off this November
ACC announces shift to 18-game men’s basketball schedule
Jacari White’s 17.1 points per game were seventh most and his 2.3 assists per contests were in the top 20 in the conference, too. He said his new coach wants to highlight those skills as White transitions from North Dakota State to Virginia.
The 6-foot-3 veteran guard committed to UVa last month and is due to arrive on Grounds permanently in June.
“Going off of Coach [Ryan] Odom’s résumé, he’s got a great track record of working [with] players like me,” White told The Daily Progress.
It’s one of the reasons why the former Bison standout, an All-Summit League second-team selection for 2024-25, pledged to the Hoos even before he had a chance to visit Charlottesville.
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“[Odom’s teams] shoot the ball pretty well and I like creating for my teammates,” White said. “He showed me his system, and how his system caters to those abilities and also all the different things I can do to really help the team.”
NCAA Men’s Basketball 2024: North Dakota State v St. Thomas MAR
North Dakota State Bison guard Jacari White dribbles the ball against St. Thomas during a Summit League tournament game last March in South Dakota.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
White, an Orlando native, spent the last three years at North Dakota State after beginning his career in the junior college ranks at the State College of Florida in 2021-22. And each year he played with the Bison, he improved.
His points, assists, rebounds and minutes went up from one season to the next as his role evolved from off-the-bench contributor to starter to one of North Dakota State’s top scoring options. By doing so, he earned himself significantly more opportunity as a Division I transfer than as a junior college recruit.
He said out of the State College of Florida, three D-I schools — North Dakota State, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Eastern Kentucky — pursued him. This time around, top programs from all across the country targeted him.
Before choosing Virginia, White released a top five of Houston, Ole Miss, Texas, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
“I always felt like I had the skill and talent to play at a high level,” White said, “but with the JUCO route and trying to get that opportunity, it was great. It was a blessing.”
He said UVa initially reached out shortly after he entered the transfer portal, but then he didn’t hear from the Cavaliers again until they had their coaching situation figured out and Odom was in place.
“And then they came in stronger than other schools,” White said about how the Hoos catapulted ahead of those teams that were in his top five.
White said he anticipates being able to successfully navigate the leap in competition level from the Summit League to the ACC based on his experience in the sport.
North Dakota St Kansas Basketball
North Dakota State guard Jacari White shoots during the second half of a game against Kansas on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Charlie Riedel, Associated Press
“I actually understand my game now and have matured my game,” he said.
During White’s three-year stint with the Bison, they played against high-major competition, too. In December, he scored 27 points in North Dakota State’s win at Butler. His most memorable trip, though, was one to Allen Fieldhouse in November of 2022, he said, when North Dakota State played at Kansas.
That was an eye-opener, according to White.
“That was probably — when we played at Kansas — the loudest environment I’ve ever played in,” White said, “especially coming from JUCO. You just don’t see that. There aren’t crowds at JUCO games, so coming from that to playing in that and that being one of our first games of the year, that’s something I’ll never forget.”
White said the move from junior college to Division I brought challenges.
But what has stayed the same in White’s game, no matter the level or circumstance, is his consistency from 3-point range.
He comes to UVa as a 40.6% 3-point shooter in Division I. He shot 39% from deep during his lone season at the State College of Florida.
His 39.8% rate this past winter was 40th best in the country. He made multiple 3s in 21 of his 31 games.
“I just put in the work,” he said about what’s enabled to shoot so well from beyond the arc. He said he makes sure to get plenty of shots up when he is in the gym.
White said he’s eager about what’s ahead for him at UVa and his soon-to-be teammates. White recently visited and got to meet UC Irvine transfer forward Devin Tillis.
“It’s been pretty exciting to see who I am going to play with,” White said of the squad Odom and his staff have assembled.
“I’m excited to meet everyone and build that connection as quickly as possible so we can hit the ground running,” White said, “and try to have as smooth of a transition as possible. That’ll help us win games.”
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Hypothetical - I want to sanity check something:
White and iMac are both on this roster and everything else is the same. Who starts/plays more?
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Probably Mckneely to begin the season. Proven vs power 5. Higher percentage and ability to get off shot quickly.
No idea over length of season. Depends on Jacari d and driving ability at this level
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- Jacari
- McKneely
0
voters
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iMac
Jacari because he’s our guy. But who knows how he will adjust to the jump in competition. I do think he will be a more completemplayer
iMac and it’s not close right now. Jacari reserves the right to prove wrong though.
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Given that Odom decides who starts, and Odom didn’t prioritize getting iMac on his roster… he’d start White.
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Jacari would have been better on last year’s roster; iMac more valuable on this one with its better distribution of playmakers. But still high on Jacari this year.
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This actually kind of shocks me. I mean, maybe it shouldn’t because we’ve all been iMac fans for 3 years… but it still does.
I feel like iMac’s only advantage is he does the thing he does at an elite level - maybe defensive rebounding also. But Jacari also shoots the deep ball at an incredibly high level and I believe is quicker, has a better handle, has a much more diverse offensive game, is a better defender, and is a way better stylistic fit to how Odom likes to play.
I guess time will tell.
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I think it’s mainly proven vs theory here. We’ve all seen iMac do it time and time again at this level. Jacari has to prove it. Lots of dudes make the jump up with great numbers and don’t make it work. For every Broome or Knecht there’s a dozen flops…
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iMac is a great three point shooter. Not much else.
(This is mostly trolling but also I would take Jacari over him)
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Maybe Jacari will be one of the transfer up guys that kills it (I hope he does and am excited to see him do big things) but he has done what he has done at NDSU.
Still proly most excited I am about a guy transferring in on this team. Him and the Toledo dude
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Oh ranking excitement for each new player this season would be a fun exercise for another thread
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