Romello White of Arizona State is the latest high-profile addition to the NCAA Basketball transfer portal. Which teams should make a push for the forward?
Things were going so well for Arizona State this offseason. They landed five-star prospect Joshua Christopher and got a pair of sit-out transfers for great depth in the following year. Unfortunately, the team also lost several players to the NCAA Basketball transfer portal. Most were just little-used bench players but the latest, Romello White, is a big loss to overcome.
The 6’8 forward has been a starter all three seasons with the Sun Devils, averaging just under double figures and seven rebounds in 95 games played. White had a strong past season, producing 10.2 ppg. 8.8 rpg and 1.2 blocks a game. He had eight double-doubles on the season, including a stretch of four-straight in the non-conference. One of those outings came in an 18-point, 17-rebound performance in a win over Georgia.
White isn’t going to have major stat lines each night but is a strong two-way player and is a consistent starter for any possible team. That could include the professionals since he did declare for the NBA Draft after the season. He hasn’t withdrawn, so that still is an option. But by entering the transfer portal, the forward could be heading elsewhere as well.
There already have been over a dozen NCAA Basketball programs who have reached out, with more expected to come. With a number of teams still needing a frontcourt asset for their respective 2020-21 rosters, White has now become a coveted player on the portal.
There isn’t an official list of options that White has narrowed down to but that won’t stop the speculation of where he’ll end up. Here’s a list of 10 programs that could realistically target the now-former Arizona State forward.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Considering they’ve been in the picture for literally every power conference caliber transfer, there no reason why Arkansas wouldn’t be after White. They had one of the smallest lineups in NCAA Basketball last season, using primarily four guards. They will be bigger automatically, thanks to incoming top-75center Jaylin Williams, along with eligible sit-out transfers Connor Vanover and Abayomi Iyiola.
White would be an upgrade overall all of them, thanks to both his experience and defense that he would bring. But it’s important to note that along with being close to home, the Sun Devil forward wanted to be a bigger part of a team’s offense. Coach Musselman’s offenses thrive from the perimeter and the outside, rather than in the paint. He’d have a role with the Hogs but not necessarily the biggest.
Auburn Tigers
With the top three frontcourt players (Anfernee McLemore, Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy) having all graduated, there’s plenty of minutes available for a quality big man to come get. White would be a good pairing with incoming top-50 forward JT Thor, who can help space the Tigers offense.
With five-star point guard Sharife Cooper expected to lead the way, having some experience in the frontcourt would do everyone well. Coach Pearl usually has one of the better offenses in college basketball so White would get to showcase his offensive abilities for a team that could make the Big Dance.
Georgia Bulldogs
With the news that Georgia’s best frontcourt player Rayshaun Hammonds is staying in the NBA Draft, the team is now in huge need of an experienced addition. They do have a pair of incoming forwards in Josh Taylor and Tyron McMillan but neither are proven at the D-I level as White.
The Bulldogs already landed a grad transfer in George Mason guard Justin Kier and if they add White, could be in a position to make the NCAA Tournament. And rather than being the 4th or 5th option for other potential options, he arguably would be No. 1 or 2 with the Bulldogs, since they don’t have any returning double-digit scorers for next season.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
With both James Banks III and Evan Cole each gone from the roster, the team could use another starting frontcourt player. The Yellow Jackets did land Georgia transfer center Rodney Howard but he’s projected more as a rotational piece rather than an impact starter. White and returning forward Moses Wright (13 ppg and 7.0 rpg) would be a solid fit, although the spacing inside would be a bit of an issue.
What wouldn’t be an issue is the overall scoring for Georgia Tech if White picks this team. Guards Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe are All-ACC playmakers who just need consistent production from down low. After being ineligible for postseason play this year, they’re in position to make it back to the NCAA Tournament with just one more addition. Even with three-star incoming centers Saba Gigiberia and Jordan Meka, White could be a nice pickup for Coach Pastner, who is on the hot seat in 2020-21.
Georgia State Panthers
Considering that White left a preseason top-15 team in Arizona State, finding a place to win isn’t the most important thing for the transfer. So if the best situation comes via a mid-major, why wouldn’t he make the move? The Panthers are close to his home and returns the top three scorers from a team that won 19 games this past season.
With Cincy transfer forward Eliel Nsoseme also joining, White would form one of the best lineups for all mid-majors. He’d be a Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate and put up big numbers on a winning team. In terms of completely showcasing one’s abilities, the Panthers would be a nice destination to consider.
Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans reached out to White more so as an insurance policy, in the case leading big man Xavier Tillman elects to remain in the NBA Draft. Having already lost All-American Cassius Winston, they can’t afford another departure this late in the game and still be a frontrunner to win the Big Ten next year. They do have incoming top-50 center Mady Sissoko, along with junior forward Marcus Bingham Jr. Then there’s former Marquette forward Joey Hauser, considered to be the best sit-out transfer that’s able to play next year.
The obvious problem Michigan State has with White is that they can’t really make a full-throated effort until they know what happens with Tillman. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is a month from here and the odds that White decides within the next couple of weeks are high. If Coach Izzo is interested in you, one has to consider the Spartans. But the NBA Draft timeline complicates this scenario.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs lost a ton of production this past season, including All-SEC forward Reggie Perry. The 17 and 10 leading big man can’t be easily replaced, with only Abdul Ado and Western Kentucky transfer Tolu Smith projected to be part of the rotation next season. Among the incoming recruits and Louisiana Monroe grad transfer Jalen Johnson, all of them are perimeter-oriented players.
White would be an instant starter for Mississippi State and would be a good fit for Coach Ben Howland. He, along with guards DJ Stewart and Iverson Molinar would be the focal points for the team and could end up as the leading scorer with a big senior campaign.
Memphis Tigers
It was just a few games but projected top NBA Draft pick center James Wiseman looked good at Memphis. And once he left, Precious Achiuwa became the AAC Player of the Year. With him gone, the center position is up for grabs, with Florida transfer forward Isaiah Stokes projected to get some minutes.
White would be a certain upgrade and with a solid rising group of guards, Memphis would be a contender in the conference next season. And with the murmurs of another elite group of newcomers potentially joining the Tigers 2021 recruiting class (along with VT sit-out transfer Landers Nolley) the Arizona State forward would be a great one-year rental for the team, without jeopardizing the program’s future plans.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels have been busy in the transfer market, landing grad transfer guard Dimencio Vaughn and Samford sit-out transfer forward Robert Allen. But the team would like to add another frontcourt player with immediate eligibility to pair with senior center Khadim Sy. White and Sy would be a nice pairing defensively since they both can play both frontcourt positions.
Although All-SEC guard and leading scorer Breein Tyree is gone, Ole Miss returns three double-digit scorers for next season, along with the addition of four-star playmaker and top-40 recruit Matthew Murrell. Adding White could make them NCAA Tournament good, having a versatile frontcourt lineup to have fun with.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Bad luck and injuries have been the reason for Vandy winning just three SEC games in two seasons, And with both Saben Lee and Aaron Nesmith gone, the team returns just All-SEC freshman Scotty Pippen Jr. as the lone double-digit scorer. They do have a pair of transfers in DJ Harvey and forward Quentin Millora-Brown, along with former Kansas point guard Issac McBride eligible at semester break.
The reason why Vanderbilt is viewed as the early favorite for White is his past connection with head coach Jerry Stackhouse. They were together years ago when Stackhouse coached White at the AAU circuit. Some recruiting experts think the Sun Devil forward would land there, adding talent that will hopefully take the Commodores out of the SEC basement.
It’s early in the recruitment of White and there is still the possibility he goes pro, although the chances of him getting drafted aren’t high. There will be a number of teams after the three-year starter but it could be the rebuilding Commodores that lands one of the biggest impact transfers this offseason.