Andrew White: 'I would like to be a Klay Thompson style of player'

Nebraska is on a roll, winning three in a row to push its way to the middle of the Big Ten pack with a 3-3 league mark. And Andrew White III is a big reason for that.

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The 6-7, 216-pound junior has scored 21, 15 and 28 points in each of the last three games, wins over Illinois, Minnesota and Rutgers. The sweet-shooting White also has grabbed an aggregate 29 rebounds in the last three games to help fuel the Huskers? rise.

White sat out last season after transferring from Kansas, where he played in 44 games and helped KU win two Big 12 titles. Now, the Richmond, Virginia, native has emerged as the leading scorer and rebounder for Nebraska (11-8 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) with 17.5 and 6.3 averages, respectively.

I caught up with White as he prepped for a big game at Michigan State on Wednesday.

Q: What has been the key to your three-game winning streak?
A: Defending, obviously, and finishing possessions with the rebound. We have stopped first shots well and given up a lot of offensive rebounds at one point. So, finishing possessions and on offense having good pace. And a lot of guys are scoring and getting involved to make our team more versatile.

Q: Which players have stepped up and caught your attention?
A: Tai Webster has played really well so far. He also has defended well. And he has distributed. So, he has done a little bit of everything. He has been a big third scorer for us. Glynn Watson has had some very efficient games in this little streak we have had. And guys like Jack McVeigh and Ed Morrow, everyone has kind of upped their scoring a bit lately and that is why we have scored more.

Q: Do you have good chemistry with Shavon Shields?
A: Yes. We are pretty good, a good 1-2 punch. We tell each other what we see. We have a good relationship. There is no friction.

Q: Who do you hang out with?
A: No one in particular. We have done more things as a team of late on the weekends. I live alone. But we have all been together recently off the court, which has helped our chemistry on the court.

Q: How tough was it sitting out last year?
A: The only time it was tough was on game day because I was watching my team, and for most of the season they were struggling. But in between games, it wasn?t that tough because the staff was doing a good job preparing me. And I knew that time would fly by and it would be time for me to play. I thought of that more as valuable time. It wasn?t time I wanted to hurry up and end. I knew if I used it wisely I would be able to be productive this season.

Q: Why Nebraska?
A: I picked Nebraska because I had faith in the coaching staff that I would have a good opportunity to play, and I felt they were good at developing guys and had a good track record with transfer guards.

Q: Do you still keep track of Kansas?
A: Yes. I will check their scores every once in a while. I?ve only seen them live once or twice this year. But I will check the stats to see how the guys are doing. I don?t have any bad blood with anyone at Kansas. And my teammates always were good to me. I consider those guys my friends and wish them well.

Q: Who would you compare your style/game to?
A: I get a lot of Klay Thompson comparisons and that is someone I want to mold my game after. I think he is good off the ball, a good two-way player who is a lights-out scorer which shows how much a threat a shooter can be at the NBA level. I would like to be a Klay Thompson style of player moving forward.

Q: How good are the facilities at Nebraska?
A: I have something to compare it to since I was at another school. There isn?t much that compares to the facilities here. The money and time they have invested in everything here is good. It has been big for us and is a good recruiting tool for us.

Q: Can you guys make the NCAA tourney?
A: That?s always the hope and what you want to do, aim for the biggest goal possible. Right now, we are taking it a game at a time and see how far we can go with this streak. Hopefully by late in the Big Ten season, we will be on the bubble and in a position to play our way into the tourney. But that is down the road. We just want to win now.

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