What Can Paul White Do For Nebraska Basketball if He Joins?

Paul White, a rising junior forward at Georgetown University announced last week that he is going to transfer from Georgetown before the 2016-2017 season. This news comes as a surprised to the Hoyas and comes late in the pre-season.

Paul White was an asset to Georgetown in the limited minutes he played. Freshman year he saw action in all 33 games off of the bench and was successful in the time he saw on the floor. He averaged 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.4 minutes per game.

Sophomore year went a little differently than Paul White and the Hoyas planned. He had hip and abdominal issues throughout the early part of the season that lead to season-ending surgery. He saw action in seven games during the season and played limited minutes on the court in the time he did see as a result of nursing his injuries on the court.

What is interesting about White is that he was a highly-touted four-star recruit coming out of high school. He attended Whitney Young in Chicago, Illinois and had a successful basketball career there. He was a three-year starter and two-time captain on varsity. Senior year, he excelled on the court, averaging 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals per game.

Although White was a highly-touted recruit, it was difficult to see his full potential as a player because of the limited minutes he saw at Georgetown.

So how does he fit with Nebraska?

Tim Miles has been known to develop players well. Paul White can definitely add offense to this team and be a scoring threat on the floor. His defense would also be valuable to Nebraska. His ability to collect rebounds and steals can help Nebraska improve in transition. If he develops well, he can come off the bench and be an asset to Nebraska’s front court.

But here’s the catch.

Paul White did not medically redshirt last season with his injury. So he can’t have an immediate impact on the floor this year. A redshirt year will definitely help him develop as a player, improve his game, and develop chemistry with the other players on the court.

This would be an excellent player for Tim Miles to get, but the downside is his redshirt. Andrew White would have only been at Nebraska one more season if he would have stayed, so ideally a player that could contribute immediately would benefit him the most.

Regardless, Paul White could help the team develop while he redshirts. He has the added experience of playing in the NCAA Tournament which can help Tim Miles in the long term.

So Yes or No?

Although Paul White won’t benefit Tim Miles immediately, but his experience as a player is valuable and he would be an asset to the team to help them get to the NCAA Tournament in the coming years.

Andrew White’s void is difficult to fill- especially given the time of the year and proximity to the season. Paul White has the potential to be a great player and he would undoubtedly be an asset to Tim Miles and Nebraska going forward.