With key injuries for Ole Miss’ top two players off the bench, sophomore guard LaDarius White will be depended upon to be another scorer in the Rebels’ lineup.
Making his debut as a freshman in 2011, LaDarius White burst on the scene scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds in an Ole Miss win over Mississippi Valley State.
White didn’t continue that success as he failed to reach double figures for the next 20 games. But he ended the season scoring 38 points in the final two games and built excitement for his potential as a Rebel.
White started this season coming off the bench, but he has started the last nine games and led the team in scoring twice, dropping 17 against Auburn and 22 against Kentucky.
While Florida, which is third in the country in defensive field goal percentage, held White to just six points on 2-10 shooting, head coach Andy Kennedy sees White as a vital part of the Rebel offense.
“He brings a weapon that we desperately need with his ability and his size to attack off the bounce,” Kennedy said.
“When he’s making three pointers, it really expands his game.”
White is shooting under 30 percent in his career, but was 6 of 7 from deep against Auburn and Kentucky.
With his starting position and the injury to senior guard Nick Williams, White has been looked upon to be more productive.
“My role (is to) defend, rebound and attack,” White said.
“I have to fill in what Nick did. That means I have to score more or rebound more. I just gotta adjust to whatever coach wants me to do.”
He is averaging 8.6 points per game in SEC play, and he frequently draws the defensive assignment of the opponent’s best wing player. Kennedy has cited his size, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, and defensive ability as main reasons why White has gotten the starting the nod.
While White’s production has been very inconsistent, it hasn’t been due to poor shooting.
He has missed more than five shots just twice this season. Whenever he does take a large number of shots, he turns in big offensive numbers. When shooting at least 10 shots in a game, he is averaging 17.2 points in his career.
White, a McComb, Miss., native, is better known as Snoop among fans, players and coaches.
Even when he is announced prior to Ole Miss home games, the student sections rings out a cheer of “Snoop.”
“Ever since I was young, as long as I can remember, I’ve been called Snoop,” White said. “I thought that was my real name.”
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