- Slug: Sports ASU Romello White. 643 words.
By ZACHARY PEKALE
Cronkite News
TEMPE — When the doors to the Weatherup Center open, media flood the Arizona State basketball practice court and more often than not bombard the duo of Remy Martin and Zylan Cheatham with interview requests.
Understandable, considering both are expected to be key contributors for the Sun Devils this season. A sophomore, Martin is an unquestioned leader while Cheatham, a redshirt senior, maintains a boisterous personality complemented by veteran expertise.
Off to the side, Romello White works on free-throw shooting, a category that saw him make just 55 percent of his shots in his first season of play. The redshirt sophomore bends his knees and squares his shoulders to the basket before converting one, then another, eventually getting into a rhythm.
More reserved in nature, White isn’t usually the center of attention. It’s the little things, such as fixing his free throw routine, that catch the eye of coach Bobby Hurley.
“Romello has taken another step,” Hurley said. “He’s in good shape right now. He’s vocal, playing very physical and playing to his strengths.”
At 20, White is the longest tenured player on Hurley’s team and like many veterans, he has battle scars to show for it.
An academic redshirt, first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, kept him off the court for the entirety of the 2016 season, followed by a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules that delayed his debut until November 14, 2017.
But patience is a virtue.
After much anticipation, White began his college career with a 16-point, 15-rebound effort against San Diego State. His flash of potential left spectators captivated as he displayed an ability to score on the low block and aggressively crash the glass.
“Adversity makes a man,” Martin said, summarizing White’s uphill climb in addition to the team’s ability to handle obstacles.
Now at the conclusion of a distraction-free offseason, White is ready to expand upon his contributions and has a sizable amount of help to achieve success.
Cheatham, along with forward Taeshon Cherry and center Uroš Plavšić, give ASU increased frontcourt depth, although the unit is younger than other teams Hurley has coached during his time in Tempe.
Possessing a breadth of experience, White has tasked himself with mentoring the younger players on the roster, helping them understand team expectations and the adjustment to college basketball.
“Coach Hurley’s been telling me I’ve got to speak up more and be more of a voice because I am a veteran and I’ve been here for three years,” White said.
Although the role requires tough love from time to time, it has helped foster a relationship between White and Plavšić.
The two go head-to-head in practice daily, with Plavšić developing under the tutelage of his veteran counterpart. They occasionally get into it over the physicality of their on-court battles, White said, challenging each other to improve.
For the first time in his college career, White isn’t the only option the Sun Devils have in the low post. With added size on the roster, White is able to expand his own game while continuing to mentor his young teammates.
“I feel like I can move around,” White said. “I don’t have to just sit in the paint all the time and do all the bully work.
“I got people that can do that with me. I can move to the four (power forward spot), stretch out and work on my jumpers.”
White expressed confidence in taking shots out to 17 feet and hinted at the prospect of extending his range beyond the 3-point line.
That idea was swiftly dismissed by Hurley.
As the lone full-time starter returning to the Sun Devils this season, White quietly continues to work on his game.
In the meantime, he can always dream about shooting those 3-pointers while he works on the little things that caught Hurley’s eye.
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