5 Things To Know about Trazarien White of UNCW
5 Things To Know about Trazarien White of UNCW
Among the most explosive players in the CAA is UNC Wilmington swingman Trazarien White. Get to know more about the Seahawks standout.
Versatile playmaker Trazarien White is the engine of a UNC Wilmington with designs on the 2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association championship. A leading contender to win the conference's Player of the Year, White white can do it all.
He's a prolific scorer with the ability to slash, bang in the paint and shoot the 3-pointer; he defends multiple positions; and he's an elite rebounder at his position.
White's campaign is off to a strong start. He's putting up 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as the Seahawks open 5-1. A challenging road swing awaits UNC Wilmington in the month of December, beginning with a visit to Rupp Arena to face Kentucky and a return to SEC Country for a Dec. 30 showdown with Arkansas.
A childhood move to Texas launched White's basketball career
Trazarien White is the rare Texan on a CAA roster this season, joining UNC Wilmington after a stint at Collin College and high-school career at Timberview High School in the Dallas-area town of Mansfield.
6ft.5 SF 2019 Trazarien White Mansfield Timberview (Air Force Commit) showing off the bounce. @TviewBasketball @TexasImpact1 @_almighty23_ pic.twitter.com/9TRn0iN53V
— Prep Hoops Texas (@PrepHoopsTX) March 17, 2019
White was on a pair of state championship-winning teams at Timberview, including his senior year when he averaged a staggering 22 rebounds per game.
In an interview with Mid-Major Madness, White detailed that his family moving from Georgia to Texas when White was young helped him find his love for basketball and developed his game.
Trazarien White joined elite UNCW company as a sophomore All-CAA selection
White's selection to the All-CAA team in 2022-23 made him just the sixth sophomore in program history to earn such distinction. It's a club that includes Brian Rowsom, NCAA Tournament hero Brett Blizzard, Chad Tomko, C.J. Bryce and Devontae Cacok.
White's aggressive work on the glass brings to mind the style of play that made Cacok an NBA player and a CAA Player of the Year. And, to that end, the Star News detailed White bringing Cacok out of his seat on the night UNCW retired Cacok's number in 2022.
White is a tournament-tested performer
Along with his selection to the All-CAA team in 2022-23, Trazarien White garnered All-CAA Tournament in UNCW's run to the conference-title game. White had games of 14 points and eight rebounds against Drexel, 21 points and 11 rebounds vs. Hofstra, and 16 points with six points against College of Charleston.
Last season, White also won Most Valuable Player at the Baha Mar Nassau Championship. The Thanksgiving week tournament provided a key stepping stone for the Seahawks into a successful season, and established White as the team's star player with the departures of Mike Okauru and Jaylen Sims.
White's physicality leads to foul shots
Six games into the 2023-24 season, Trazarien White has shot 31 free throws — a byproduct of the overall brand of basketball Seahawks coach Takayo Siddle said on his coach's show that White brings.
"So aggressive, in his nature. He's a slasher, and a guy that's going to the offensive glass, creating contact," Siddle said. "And he's so aggressive on every catch going downhill. He did that a lot last year, and we need him...to touch the paint and create those type of situations for us. We expect him to get to the line a lot."
At 74.2 percent through Thanksgiving week, White's average is up nearly nine percent from a season ago. Credit his improved foul shooting for also helping bolstering his scoring average.
Trazarien White should surpass 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 100 steals by season's end
As a contributor from the beginning of his UNCW career, White has put together some impressive career numbers. He should easily eclipse 1,000 points during the 2023-24 season, with marks of 500 rebounds and 100 steals also within reach.
White surpassed 800 career points in the Seahawks' Nov. 25 win over Florida Gulf Coast, and has 381 rebounds six games into his third season at UNCW. He's at 70 steals, needing to surpass last season's total of 35 to get to the 100-theft mark.