Thursday, October 21, 1999
White points
Rainbows in
right direction
Hawaii's senior guard says
'There are no negatives on this team'Rainbow Classic sponsor renews By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinNot too many people know it, but Hawaii senior point guard Johnny White has an NBA resume.
During his seven-year career with the Orlando Magic, he racked up countless assists to stars like Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson.
Between the ages of 11 and 18, White had the chance to perform before more than 17,000 people at the Orlando Arena and sometimes on national TV.
That's a lot more exposure than any of his teammates could claim before signing letters of intent with the Rainbows.
"My dad (Johnny White Sr.) was a pro caddie at Ilseworth Country Club in Orlando and I got a job as a ball boy because he knew the Magic owner," said White, who had as much exposure to PGA golfers as NBA players in his formative years.
It was a dream-come-true experience for White, who made lasting friendships with some of the greats of both sports.
But the 6-foot-1 Floridian didn't get to where he is now due to his father's influence.
And he paid a lot bigger physical price as Hawaii's starting point guard last season than he did toweling the floor, picking up warmup togs and running errands for millionaire ballplayers.
With no true backup during the 1998-1999 season, White just about sweated the volume of the Ala Wai Canal.
Of all the returning point guards in this season's Western Athletic Conference, he averaged the most minutes on the floor: 36.6 a game.
White, who some say resembles former Boston Celtics guard JoJo White (no relation), said he didn't count on having much relief this season and found a way to get stronger over the summer. He arrived on campus with the team's strongest bench press: 300 pounds.
But he sure doesn't relish the idea of being the Rainbows' marathon man again.
"I don't think it's good to be playing 36 minutes a game," said White, who looks to promising freshman Carl English, sophomore Mike McIntyre or junior Nerijus Puida to spell him this season.
"I remember Andre Miller (first-round pick of Cleveland Cavs) was the first guy they subbed for at Utah. The point guard spot is the hardest job on the floor because you have to run baseline to baseline and you have to always know what everybody is doing. That kind of wears you down."
White said it was even more difficult to endure last season because Hawaii was losing 20 of its 26 games.
On the plus side, he also is the WAC's top returning assist man (5.5 per game) and ... a distinction he wants to lose ... the conference leader in turnovers (4.5).
"Last year, there weren't a lot of good hands, and there were a lot of new guys running the offense who didn't get open as well as certain guys the previous year," said head coach Riley Wallace.
"It wasn't all his fault, in other words."
But White, who is determined to lower his turnover rate, said this year he has a "luxury" with good hands up front.
"There's (6-8 senior) Marquette (Alexander), (6-7 junior) Bernard (McIntosh) and (6-9 junior) Troy (Ostler), who when you lead pass it, they release the man and go get the ball," he said. "And we have people on the wings who can finish."
Junior guard Lane O'Connor was a 51 percent 3-point shooter in junior college (Santa Rosa CC).
Alexander, who starts at center, returns as the WAC's second leading percentage shooter from the floor (54 percent).
"We have only four people back and that's good," White said. "There are no negatives on this team. There is no true starting five and everybody has to work hard."
That attitude pleases Wallace, who expresses confidence in White's maturity.
"Johnny's a fine young man," Wallace said. "He's a good student, a polite kid and he's coachable. When it comes to keeping the team happy, passing the ball around, he's very good. He's a strong kid with a lot of energy."
But Wallace does have some concerns.
"He just doesn't use that energy well on the defensive end, getting loose balls, rebounds and things like that," he said.
White also received some offensive counseling from Wallace.
"Just before I left for the summer, coach said I'm a good driver but I get too deep and cause the charge," said White, who averaged 8.7 points per game. "So he told me to work on my short game, like when I get in the paint, practice pulling up."
"He has a good shot with that medium range jumper," said Wallace. "He needs to pull up and hit it."
Having been raised in a PGA environment, White has a demeanor more typical of a golfer than a basketball player. He's a laid-back, affable, soft-spoken person. But he admits he has never gone 18 holes.
"I can drive and putt," he said with a laugh.
But just like his offense, he said, "My short game needs work."
