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After three workouts with three teams in three days, Andrew White III headed back to Nebraska on Saturday with a decision to make: stay in the NBA Draft and forgo his redshirt senior season, or return to Nebraska for his final year. White worked out with the Detroit Pistons on May 19th, then traveled to Chicago to workout with the Bulls on the 20th. Finally, he headed to Boston to workout with the Celtics on the 21st. White was not at the NBA Combine in May in Chicago.
Ultimately, White opted to return to Lincoln for one more year.
Nebraska's Andrew White has withdrawn from the 2016 NBA Draft, sources told @CBSSports.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 26, 2016
White was the leading scorer for Nebraska in the 2015-2016 season. Although he only played one season for Tim Miles after sitting out a year following his transfer from Kansas, he played a key role in Nebraska's offense.
Andrew White III returning to Nebraska is great news for Cornhusker fans. Following the graduation of Shavon Shields, this season White will have the opportunity to lead this team to new heights. White will play alongside senior standout Tai Webster and Louisville transfer Anton Gill. Nebraska has a lot of depth at the guard position, which is important heading in to the lengthy Big Ten season. White will also play alongside sophomore guard Glynn Watson Jr. and Junior guard Malcolm Laws.
White will also have the opportunity to learn from one of the best Division I assistant coaches next season, Michael Lewis. He was a guard under Bob Knight at Indiana and has experience coaching teams in to the NCAA Tournament. Lewis will be able to help White become a stronger player on offense and defense. If he continues to improve this upcoming season, White may have the chance to be one of the top players in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Andrew White is crucial on both sides of the floor. He can shoot well in the paint, beyond the arc, and is a strong rebounder. He shot 48% from the floor, 41% from beyond the arc, 77% from the line and averaged 5.9 rebounds per game in the 2015-2016 season. He also blocked 11 shots and collected 39 steals on the season. His stellar performance in the conference this season earned him All- Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention following the season. White also earned the Nebraska Newcomer of the Year Award.
This off-season, White will work to continue to improve his offense and defense. If White continues to improve his shooting and defensive play, Nebraska's back-court is shaping up to be a major threat in the Big Ten for the 2016-2017 season.
While Nebraska would have improved as a team with or without White's return, he is the leader that has the power to take the team back to the postseason. Nebraska has not been to the postseason since the 2013-2014 season. With White's return and the depth on Nebraska's roster along with the addition of Michael Lewis, Nebraska has a chance to quietly make some noise in the Big Ten. Tim Miles and his team have a chance to go dancing next March. That would be quite a way for Andrew White III to end his collegiate basketball career.