◆ J.B. White says UNM has been a constant presence as he played in high school and was the first university to offer him a scholarship.
Demons star junior forward White verbally commits to play for Lobos, calling program a ‘constant presence’ over the past year
The Summer of J.B. White turned into a Howl of a Fall.
The 6-foot-8 Santa Fe High junior forward saw his profile steadily skyrocket from the summer into the early fall, and it seemed like a cavalcade of college coaches kept walking into the Santa Fe High basketball office to sell White on the virtues of their program.
They came from the PAC-12 (Washington, Utah, Arizona State and Oregon State); the Big 12 (Oklahoma and Texas Tech); the Big Ten (Minnesota); and even the West Coast Conference (Santa Clara). White enjoyed the ride while it lasted.
“I can’t lie, when it first hit, I was really excited,” White said. “I enjoyed the recruiting process, but after a while, it was a little stressful. I am thankful for all the schools that came down, but I had to separate certain things. Like, who really hits me up every day?”
White revealed the answer to that Tuesday morning, as he verbally committed to the University of New Mexico in a short announcement ceremony with his Santa Fe High teammates and Lobos head coach Paul Weir in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium. White unveiled a pumpkin painted white and red with the Lobo logo on it, as well as wearing a red UNM T-shirt.
White said his decision was between UNM and Santa Clara, but the deciding factor was that Weir and his coaching staff were a constant presence since the summer of his sophomore year — so much so, UNM was the first program to offer him a scholarship — as well as being close to home and his family.
“It shows how much they really want me and how much they want to connect with me,” White said. “It was very important to me.”
White’s national profile had grown in the offseason, as he was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 84 player in the nation and 12th in the forward category, while 247Sports had him the No. 35 player nationally and No. 8 in the small-forward category. He also played this spring for the Exum Elite team based out of Utah.
What the Lobos get is a player who is still growing — White said his doctor indicated he could add a couple of inches to his height — as well as one who can play in the low post and around the perimeter and handle the ball. He showed that in spurts as a sophomore, averaging 17 points and 13 rebounds per game before his season was cut short by a dislocated left patella in January. He watched
from the bench as Santa Fe High advanced to the Class 5A championship game.
The injury lit a fire under White, who worked hard during his rehab then added about 15 pounds of muscle to his lithe frame. Demons head coach Zack Cole said White has become more balanced in his footwork and balance, which is much different from the player he was last year.
“He’s doing more two-footed moves,” Cole said. “Before, he was flying all over the place, jumping off of one foot at all these crazy angles. He’s much more precise and there’s less wasted movement in his game because of that. With his balance, everything is strong now.”
White said the injury also helped him mature, because the sport was taken away from him for a short period of time. It made him realize how fleeting a career can be.
“It made me really think and change in a bunch of ways,” White said. “I feel stronger mentally and body-wise.”
White added that he can continue his prep career with a clear mind and without the distractions of the recruiting process. He mentioned one major goal he wants to accomplish — with the help of his teammates — by becoming the first back-to-back state champions in school history.
“I want it partly for me, but also for the guys on the team that I know won’t make it to the next level to see them win a state title,” White said.
White hopes that the fun ride will continue.