Arizona State Basketball: Romello White ruled academic redshirt for 2016-17 season
Arizona State basketball head coach Bobby Hurley loses his second best freshman.
Second year head coach Bobby Hurley reeled in an impressive five man 2016 recruiting class that consists of three players ranked in ESPN’s top 100.
One of those recruits won’t see the court at all for the Sun Devils in 2016-17. Four-star forward Romello White has been ruled an academic redshirt and won’t be able to participate in any games this upcoming season.
The 6’9″, 220 pound recruit from Marietta, GA is ranked 77th in ESPN’s top 100, is labeled as the 6th best player in the state of Georgia and is the 21st best player at his respective position. He received a plethora of offers from high major schools coming out of Wheeler High School, including Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
White will still get to practice with the Sun Devils this year, but his physical, tough presence would’ve given Arizona State a different dimension in the paint. The forward isn’t all that skilled offensively, but he plays within his role.
White is a solid rebounder, efficient finisher in the paint and a dangerous shot blocker. He also has a solid motor and maintains good mobility.
Most importantly, the Sun Devils now lack depth up front. 6’10” big Eric Jacobsen and 6’7″ big Willie Atwood graduated in the spring, leaving just senior Obinna Oleka and four freshman, four-star small forward Sam Cunliffe, four-star center Jethro Tshisumpa, three-star power forward Vitaliy Shibel and Spain native Ramon Vila.
Oleka will be the leader of the bunch as he is one of just two seniors on the roster. The 6’7″ forward was third on the Sun Devils in scoring and second in rebounding last year.
Cunliffe typically plays on the wing, but he could mold into the best player up front due to his versatility and ability to slide down to the four-position.
Tshisumpa will block shots and rebound at the rim, while Shibel and Vila will likely have very small roles and are unlikely to make the rotation initially.
Because of White’s academic redshirt and the lack of experience at the forward and center positions, Hurley’s squad will have to be carried by a backcourt that consists of Tra Holder and Buffalo transfer Shannon Evans.
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