Royce White, Sophomore, Power Forward, Iowa State
Overview:
Not every team has the luxury of drafting the best player available when it comes time for them to select a player in the draft. Some teams have glaring needs that need to be filled. Others have a veteran in the way of where a rookie would get playing time. It seems like Royce White will need to wait for a team that really wants him as his repertoire of skills is rather unusual and will not fit ideally on every roster. White is a point-forward. He has an NBA forward’s body but is used to bringing the ball up the court and dishing out assists. He grabbed nearly 10 rebounds a game and shot over 53% from the floor for Iowa State, while still accumulating five assists per contest. Although he will help any team that takes him, finding a roster that can use his skills to the max will be best for both that franchise and for White’s pro prospects.
Final Projection:
Gaining a jack of all trades label will probably end up hurting Royce White’s draft stock. Teams would rather take a player who is tremendous at one thing over a guy who can do so many things on the court, but perhaps does not excel in one area. White also has only one year of playing experience even though he is a 21 year old sophomore. An incident at Minnesota, followed by a transfer to Iowa State and White having to sit a year led to this. Therefore, a 6’8” power forward who can score, rebound, pass, steal and block shots may end up dropping out of the lottery and, perhaps, all the way to the second round.
5/31/12 Update by Dan Levine
White ended up being a star on an overachieving Iowa State team. He was a do-everything player last year for the Cyclones. He can score, rebound, and dish. He has had off-court issues that teams would have to consider. White can flat-out play though, so he should find himself taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.
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