Cowboys facing who? Monster Mash? Magic? KG?
Published: 1/18/2012 4:11 PM
Last Modified: 1/18/2012 5:18 PM
Royce White. ORLIN WAGNER/AP
The correct answer is the last one. White is a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward for Iowa State and he’s a match-up nightmare for OSU and every other Big 12 team.
White is so versatile that he leads the Cyclones in scoring, rebounding and assists. While describing White to the media, league coaches have name-dropped every other “answer” in the multiple choice question.
Said Missouri coach Frank Haith, “He’s like Magic Johnson. He’s a point-forward. He can do so many things.”
During a Big 12 teleconference Monday, OSU’s Travis Ford said White is “just very similar to Jamal Mashburn, who I played with (at Kentucky) as far as a guy who can handle the ball and post (up) and bring the ball up the court. He’s just that kind of mismatch, hybrid four man who can do a lot of different things and they utilize him extremely well.”
At the Big 12’s preseason media preview in October, Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said this when asked to compare White to any other player: “He’s a very unique player. You know, Royce is Royce. (To be 6-8 and) to have that ability and that mentality is pretty rare. You don’t have many guys that can beat people off the drill. He’s extremely explosive as well when he gets by a guy....
“I’ve played with a great passing big in Kevin Garnett. His ability to see exactly when that shot was there and to deliver that pass -- so much of shooting is timing -- is when you can get the ball in the right spot at the right time it’s so much easier to knock down that shot. Royce has that ability. As soon as that (defensive) help comes, boom, that pass is on a string.”
White is a transfer from Minnesota who needed a greener pasture after encountering off-the-court issues. In a Big 12 road debut at Texas A&M, he produced a triple-double (10 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists). It was the fourth triple-double in ISU history (and first by a Cyclone in a road game) and the 12th triple-double in Big 12 history.
White is one of eight Division I players to post a triple-double this season. Somebody on the Cowboy roster will get the pleasure of trying to figure out how to defend the guy.
“You’ve got somebody as big as he is out there playing on the wing and not just creating for himself, but creating for others too,” OSU redshirt freshman forward Michael Cobbins said. “So you’ve just got to man up and guard him and respect his game.”
--Jimmie Tramel.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
