On the Road: Scouting D.J. White

White is expected to decide between Alabama and Indiana

Rivals.com was on hand at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa (AL) to watch the Patriots battle cross town rival Tuscaloosa County High School in a game which featured one of the nation’s most sought after big men in the 2004 class, Hillcrest’s D. J. White (6-foot-8, 225-pounds).

Hillcrest High School, ranked No. 6 in the state’s 6A classification, defeated County 37-22 in a low scoring affair and improved their record to 15-7.

The Patriots got an impressive performance from White, who is rated the 7th overall prospect in the nation for the class of 2004 by Rivals.com. On 10 of 11 shooting from the field, the one miss coming from behind the arc midway through the fourth quarter, White scored 24 points including several rim-rattling dunks. He also pulled down nine rebounds and blocked four shots.

Scouting White:

The Good: Big man who runs the floor well … works hard for position in the paint and displayed a nice arsenal of low post moves … has the ability to knock down the 10 foot jumper … controls the lane on the defensive end by either blocking or altering shots … sees the floor well for a big man.

Needs Improvement: Needs to improve upper body strength and add weight … plays hard but gets winded at times causing him to struggle … mid-range game needs some polish.

Bottom Line: White will be one of the nation’s highest rated big men recruits. He is not a threat to make the jump from high school to the NBA, which only makes him more valuable in the eyes of college recruiters. White is still learning to play the game but has improved steadily over the last two seasons. White is a definite national top 20 prospect.

Coaches out evaluating:

Alabama assistant coach Orlando Early was on hand for the game and an unidentified Indiana coach was also seen in attendance.