New Point Guard Perfect Fit For Sooners

March 27, 2002

By OWEN CANFIELD
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Quannas White began the year as just one of six new players on Oklahoma's roster. Now he's an indispensable part of a team headed to the Final Four.

As point guard, White has blended perfectly into the mix. He makes sure the right people get the ball, is a strong defender, protects the ball and can score when needed.

"Quannas just made everybody fit," coach Kelvin Sampson said.

Sampson didn't expect to need a point guard this year. But when he dismissed J.R. Raymond late last season for breaking team rules, he suddenly had a hole to fill.

White was a high school teammate of Oklahoma guard Hollis Price. The Sooners' coaches liked his size (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) and the toughness he showed at Midland Community College in Texas. Once Raymond was let go, signing White became a priority.

White said he felt comfortable right away at Oklahoma, in part because many of the plays his junior college team used were nearly identical to those used by the Sooners. With all the new players on hand, that was important.

Price and forward Aaron McGhee were the only returning starters. In addition to White, the newcomers were guards Ebi Ere, Jason Detrick and Blake Johnston, and frontcourt players Jabahri Brown and Jozsef Szendrei.

White has started 32 of 35 games for the Sooners (31-4), who play Indiana in the national semifinals Saturday night in Atlanta. He averages 7.9 points, 4.8 assists and just 1.9 turnovers per game. He shoots 41 percent from 3-point range, with a season high of 20 points in a game against Texas.

In four NCAA tournament games, he has 25 assists and only seven turnovers.

"Quannas has just gotten better and better and better," Sampson said.

One of the first things that impressed Sampson about his new point guard was defending the ball on the dribble. That has shown up in some big games.

In the championship of the Big 12 tournament, Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich went 0-for-10 against White, and Oklahoma won. White's defense in the West Regional title game helped hold Missouri's Clarence Gilbert to 1-for-16 shooting.

Sampson likes to say that a good point guard should be like a good official - you know he's out there, but you really don't notice him. White has done that.

McGhee has become a dominant player in the final six weeks of the season. Ere and Detrick have had big nights to help keep the Sooners rolling. And Price, who spent a good part of his first two seasons playing point guard, was able to play the off-guard spot exclusively. He wound up leading the team in scoring and was an All-Big 12 selection.

Now a team picked to finish fourth in its conference is one of the last four teams playing.

"When I came on my visit and we played a couple pickup games, I saw how good the team was," White said. "I really believed this is a team that can make history, that can do it."

If it happens, give White another assist.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

New Point Guard Perfect Fit For Sooners

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